NAHCON reaffirms commitment to enforcing health regulations ahead 2026 Hajj

The Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Amb. Ismaila Abba, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to full regulatory compliance and operational excellence in the forthcoming 2026 Hajj exercise. This is contained in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, by Shafii Sani, NAHCON’s Principal Information Officer.Sani said that Abbas reaffirmed the commitment during a weekly preparatory meeting held virtually with the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah in charge of International Collaboration, Dr Al Hassan Manakhra.“The weekly meeting is part of sustained coordination efforts aimed at ensuring seamless arrangements for the 2026 Hajj.“Discussions focused on visa processing, pilgrims’ grouping, health certification compliance, flight scheduling, and accommodation synchronisation. During the meeting, it was disclosed that 10,554 visa applications have been uploaded into the Nusuk Masar system, with 1,734 visas issued,” he said.He said that the need to conclude visa processing in 16 days was also discussed, as visa processing ends on 1st day of Shawwal.“The NAHCON boss assured the Saudi ministry that the commission would strictly adhere to all stipulated deadlines assuring that all processes would be completed before the visa system closes.“The commission reported that over 70 per cent of pilgrim grouping has been completed while medical approvals for visas of over 10,000 have been uploaded so far.“A major highlight of the meeting is the firm warning issued by the Saudi ministry of Hajj and Umrah regarding the need for full compliance with health requirements by all pilgrims,” he said.Abba assured the Saudi ministry that no pilgrim would depart Nigeria without secured accommodation, adding that coordination with Saudi service providers have been strengthened to ensure seamless operations.He expressed appreciation to the Saudi ministry for its cooperation and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to sustained weekly coordination meetings until the successful completion of all 2026 Hajj preparations.Meanwhile, Manakhra, says random health checks would be conducted at entry points into the Kingdom to verify the authenticity and accuracy of submitted health certificates.The Saudi deputy minister said that any pilgrim found with a fake or falsified fitness certificate would be returned to Nigeria immediately, while the signatories of his or her certificate would be sanctioned accordingly. He also stressed the need for full alignment between flight schedules and confirmed accommodation, particularly in Madinah, to prevent logistical challenges experienced in previous years.