2025 Hajj: NAHCON, States sets May 9 for inaugural flight

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Forum of States’ Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards have agreed on May 9, 2025, as the date for the inaugural flight for this year’s Hajj exercise.

This was announced in a statement by NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara.

According to the statement, the outbound airlifts will be completed by May 24, while return flights from Saudi Arabia are scheduled to begin on June 13 and end on July 2, 2025.

The decision was made during a meeting held in Abuja between NAHCON and the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Executive Secretaries.

NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullah Saleh Usman, reminded all stakeholders that preparations for the 2025 Hajj are at the final stage.

He urged the states to update the commission on the status of their visa processing, vaccination exercises, procurement of travel bags, and other important arrangements.

The commission also announced the allocation of intending pilgrims to approved airlines for the airlift to Saudi Arabia.

Air Peace will be responsible for transporting about 5,128 pilgrims from states including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Armed Forces, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, Rivers, and Taraba.

FlyNas is set to carry 12,506 pilgrims from the Federal Capital Territory, Kebbi, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Sokoto, and Zamfara. Max Air will airlift 15,203 pilgrims from Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Oyo, and Plateau states, promising to complete the exercise by May 24.

Umza is assigned 10,163 pilgrims from Kaduna, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Niger, and Yobe, using two aircraft: a B747 with a capacity of 477 and a B777 that can carry 310 passengers.

NAHCON also reaffirmed its plan to secure well-equipped medical clinics for Nigerian pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah and to distribute Yellow Cards to participating states.

The commission advised states against including pregnant women among intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj.

The overall allocation for Nigeria’s 2025 Hajj stands at 43,000 pilgrims.