Abuja, Nigeria - October 07, 2025 Tinubu directs NAHCON to reduce 2026 hajj fares President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to immediately reduce the 2026 Hajj fares it recently announced. The Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadeija, made this known while briefing State House Correspondents after a meeting with the officials of NAHCON, held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NAHCON, after due consultations with all the relevant stakeholders, had announced the 2026 hajj fare. It said that Maiduguri-Yola Zone (Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba) would pay N8,318,336.67. The commission also said that the Northern States would pay N8,244,813.67; while Southern States would pay N8,561,013.67. Hadeija, said Tinubu felt the need for the commission to look at the possibility of reducing the hajj fare. "This meeting was called at the instance of His Excellency, the Vice-President, to look at the possibility of reducing the Hajj fare for the 2026 pilgrimage. ”As you know, the hajj fare component is about 95 and 96 per cent foreign exchange based. “The fares announced by the NAHCON were based on a very pessimistic exchange rate of N1,550. "And the rates have continue to improve steadily with the naira appreciating based on the effects of the economic reforms of the government taking place.” Hadeija stated that the vice-president felt that, if during the last hajj pilgrimage, pilgrims paid between N8.5 to N8.6 million based on negative exchange rate, they should benefit now that the exchange rate had improved. "If they apply that, we should be able to bring the hajj fare to N7.6 to N7.7 million. “The final figure will be announced in the next two days. "But this is also dependent on very quick remittance of the funds from the State Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Boards. ”The faster the pilgrims pay their hajj fares and they are remitted to the hajj commission, the faster they can pass it to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to buy the dollars for them." On his part, the Chairman, Kebbi Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Faruk Yaro, expressed gratitude to Tinubu and Shettima for their timely intervention. ”We thank God for what they have done, which is expected to bring down the cost of hajj fare. “ Also, the Secretary of NAHCON, Dr Mustapha Mohammad, said lowering the Hajj fare was a welcome development. "So, as directed by the vice-president, we will work tirelessly between today and tomorrow to see that we reduce it to an affordable rate where each and every Muslim will have the opportunity to perform this very important pillar of islam. ”