President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed an immediate downward review of the 2026 Hajj fare following the recent appreciation of the naira against the US dollar — a key factor in calculating pilgrimage costs.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, acting on the President’s directive, has given the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) a 48-hour deadline to propose new, more affordable fare structures.
During a meeting with NAHCON officials at the Presidential Villa, Shettima urged collaboration among federal and state Hajj agencies, including state governors, to harmonise the revised fares and to ensure prompt remittances to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for smooth operations.
Deputy Chief of Staff Senator Ibrahim Hadeija told journalists the meeting focused on realigning costs in light of the strengthened naira and repositioning the fare to benefit pilgrims.
He noted that the originally announced fare was calculated using a pessimistic exchange rate (around ₦1,550 to the dollar), but with the country’s currency now stronger, the Commission has been instructed to adopt more realistic rates.
If successful, the revision may bring the Hajj fare down from previously quoted figures of between ₦8.2 million to ₦8.6 million to an estimated ₦7.6 million – ₦7.7 million, depending on transport zones.
NAHCON’s Secretary, Dr. Mustapha Mohammad, welcomed the directive, declaring that a lower fare would enable more Muslim faithful to undertake the pilgrimage.
Also, the Chairman of the Kebbi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Faruk Aliyu Yaro, praised the intervention as timely and hopeful for reducing costs for pilgrims.
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