NAHCON, State Pilgrims Welfare Boards Fix May 9 For Inaugural Hajj Flight

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has held a meeting with State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board Executive Secretaries and agreed that the airlift of intending pilgrims to the Holy Land should commence on May 9, 2025 and end May 24.

The meeting was also convened to assess the level of preparedness of the State Pilgrims’ Boards.

In his opening speech, NAHCON chairman, Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman, reminded attendees that the Hajj industry was in the last lap of preparations before the commencement of the 2025 Hajj season.

He called on the states to update NAHCON on the level each state has reached in Visa production, vaccination, bags procurement and other sundry matters.

During the meeting, NAHCON Commissioner in charge of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, disclosed that Air Peace has been assigned 5,128 pilgrims cumulative from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, , Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, Rivers, Taraba States and Armed Forces.

FlyNas, on the other hand, was allocated 12,506 pilgrims from Federal Capital Territory (FCT Abuja), Kebbi, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Sokoto and Zamfara States.

A statement signed by NAHCON spokesperson, Fatima Usara, said FlyNas is bringing in nine aircraft for the operation.

Max Air is airlifting pilgrims from Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Oyo and Plateau States. The airline promised to conclude airlift of its 15,203 intending pilgrims by May 24. Two aircraft will be deployed for the operation – a B747 with 400 capacity and the second aircraft with a 560 capacity.

Umza has been allocated 10,163 pilgrims from Kaduna, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Niger and Yobe States. Umza is deploying two aircraft – a B747 with 477 capacity and a B777 with 310 capacity.

The 2025 Hajj airlift distribution was calculated on a total of 43,000 pilgrims.

The Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistics, Information & Library Services (PRSILS), Prof Abubakar Yagawal, informed the meeting of the level of the Commission’s preparedness in terms of clinics secured in Makkah and Madinah, distribution of Yellow Cards to states and finally reminded them not to enroll pregnant women for the Hajj exercise.

The inbound flight is tentatively scheduled to commence from June 13 to end by July 2.