Commission Dispels ‘Contract Rollover’ Claims On 2026 Hajj

National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has refuted allegations of seeking a contract rollover from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for 2025 Hajj service providers ahead of the 2026 pilgrimage.

The commission labelled such claims as “false and misleading.”

NAHCON, in a statement released yesterday by the technical assistant to the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), Ahmad Muazu, clarified that it did not, at any point, request a rollover of contracts from the BPP.

Muazu said, “The decision not to open a fresh bidding process for certain 2026 hajj services is strictly informed by the emergency nature of hajj operations. The BPP advertisement rule and the extremely tight timelines issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for all participating countries.

“This approach is fully consistent with Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act 2007, which allows emergency procurement where time constraints make standard tender processes impracticable. The Saudi Hajj calendar is fixed, non-negotiable and applies equally to all hajj missions globally. Nigeria is not an exception,” Muazu added.

The commission said the re-engagement procurement does not equate to automatic renewal or preservation of existing contract terms.

“Following the 2025 hajj, comprehensive performance reviews and service evaluations were conducted, meaning NAHCON is under no obligation to retain identical contractual terms, scope, or volume arrangements,” he said.

NAHCON reiterated its commitment to transparency, accountability, value for money and quality service for Nigerian pilgrims.

It stated that future engagements will be based on past performance, operational capacity, compliance history, and the ability to meet Saudi regulatory requirements within the specified timeframe.

The commission warned against exploiting the emergency nature of hajj operations to distort public understanding and encouraged stakeholders with genuine concerns to submit them formally.