The Federal Government may spend about N23 billion to refund 2,717 intending pilgrims who were denied visas by Saudi authorities due to late registrations, Saturday PUNCH has gathered.
On 12 February 2025, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) announced that it had successfully secured accommodation in Mashair, the sacred sites in Makkah, for 52,000 intending pilgrims ahead of the Saudi Arabian deadline.
In a statement, NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, Fatima Usara, disclosed that the commission had already paid for 26,287 spaces, while another 26,000 were reserved pending the completion of remittances by other intending pilgrims.
The airlift of pilgrims commenced on 5 May 2025, and as of 25 May, a total of 34,647 Nigerian pilgrims had arrived in Makkah, according to Alhaji Alidu Shutti, Deputy Coordinator of NAHCON’s Office in the holy city.
The commission revealed that 2,717 intending pilgrims were unable to secure visas for the pilgrimage due to late registration, following the closure of the Saudi visa portal.
Responding to an enquiry by Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, Usara stated that the affected pilgrims would receive full refunds.
‘Yes, they will get their full refunds’, she said.
Based on an average Hajj fare of N8.5 million, the total refunds could exceed N23 billion if each of the 2,717 pilgrims denied visas receives a full refund of their money, as NAHCON stated.
In a statement by Fatima Usara on Monday, NAHCON expressed deep regret over the development, despite its repeated efforts to persuade Saudi authorities to reopen the visa portal, even if only for a single hour.
The commission disclosed that it had facilitated four extensions of the visa issuance deadline and had secured Mashair slots as far back as February for Hajj coordinators in both the public and private sectors, all in a bid to forestall visa denials.
Yet, despite several warnings about the 19 April 2025 deadline for visa issuance and its implications, some intending pilgrims failed to complete their Hajj payments before 19 May 2025, when the registration portal was eventually closed.
In response to an enquiry by Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, Fatima Usara, clarified that there would be no penalties for late registration and that the affected pilgrims would receive full refunds.
‘Yes, they will get their full refunds’, Usara stated.
For the 2025 Hajj, NAHCON set pilgrimage fares based on regions, with N8,784,085 charged per pilgrim from southern states, N8,457,685 for those in the North, and N8,327,126 for pilgrims from Borno and Adamawa states.
Using an average fare of N8.5 million per pilgrim, total refunds could exceed N23 billion if each of the 2,717 pilgrims denied visas receives a full reimbursement, as NAHCON has pledged.
Usara explained that while the funds for the refunds had already been set aside, their release would only take place after reconciliation with key stakeholders in the Hajj value chain.
‘The money is already in a wallet for services and contract payment before visa processing. Release of the funds will be determined only after reconciliation.
‘There’ll be reconciliation between the Commission and airlines, and the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah will return all non-utilised funds. There’s no cost for late registration’, Usara said.
She added that once the funds are released, NAHCON would disburse them based on the categories of affected pilgrims.
‘It will send to tour operators for pilgrims under that category, and forward to states for refund to pilgrims under the states’, she explained.
