The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the board members were led to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by NAHCON Chairman, Amb. Ismail Yusuf.
The vice president said NAHCON would continue to play a vital role in delivering successful Hajj operations amid significant changes in global Hajj management.
He said the commission, under its current leadership, had significantly improved Hajj operations, contributing to the successes recorded during the 2026 exercise.
Shettima attributed the success to Tinubu’s leadership and decisive intervention at a critical stage of the Hajj operations.
“I must thank Mr President for decisively coming to the rescue of NAHCON.
“We want to thank him for the support that culminated in such a highly successful and seamless operation,” he said.
Shettima also commended the NAHCON board, particularly Yusuf, for the confidence and capacity demonstrated during the 2026 Hajj operation.
The vice president urged the commission’s leadership and board members to continue in the same spirit.
“I am very proud of the NAHCON chairman. He has shown capacity and exhibited a very high sense of professionalism and willingness to carry on board members,” he said.
Shettima said government’s role remained critical as global Hajj operations shifted from a government-to-government model toward a business-to-business framework.
Earlier, Yusuf thanked Tinubu and Shettima for their unwavering executive support towards ensuring a successful 2026 Hajj operation.
He commended their “critical, compassionate policy interventions” in stabilising foreign exchange access and securing basic travelling allowance.
He also cited interventions that mitigated sudden increases in aviation fuel costs, saying they significantly reduced the financial burden on many pilgrims.
According to Yusuf, the timely support ensured that the religious obligation remained accessible despite challenging global economic and geopolitical conditions.
He said NAHCON, through Shettima’s direct leadership and guidance, harmonised stakeholder collaboration to deliver a successful Hajj operation.
Yusuf added that “from early arrangements and timely airlift to logistical management within MACA, Nigerian pilgrims were treated with utmost dignity.”
