The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has commended stakeholders for their contributions to the successful conduct of the 2026 Hajj operations in Saudi Arabia.
NAHCON Chairman, Amb. Ismail Yusuf, gave the commendation on Monday in Makkah during a Post-Arafat Review Meeting.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organised by NAHCON as part of its evaluation process to gather feedback from stakeholders, assess operational performance and develop strategies for improving future Hajj operations.
Yusuf specifically praised the medical team, Ulamas, NAHCON operational staff, the media and other stakeholders for their dedication and support throughout the pilgrimage.
“Everybody has done very well and we use this opportunity to commend you for all the good work you have done.
“The staff of NAHCON, the staff of the States Pilgrims Council, the medical team, members of the Ulama who provided a spiritual guidance, and our royal fathers who provided a royal guidance to our children.
“We thank you all for your hard work in this very, very modest success,” he said.
According to him, patience was a key factor in the achievements recorded during the exercise, stressing the need for stakeholders to continue demonstrating the virtue in their engagements.
“It is understandable because the range of mobilisation of 1.7 million people within a space of just 7.5 km radius, you are going to have a crisis of space, you are going to have a crisis of security, you are going to have a crisis of fear.
“The lesson that we must learn as Muslims is that when you leave your home and you are engaged in a spiritual journey, you have to be patient.
“It is grossly uncharitable for us as leaders, as people who are charged with the care of pilgrims, to not exhibit this virtue of patience,” he said.
The NAHCON chairman assured stakeholders that lessons learned from the 2026 exercise would be used to address identified shortcomings and strengthen future operations.
“Mistakes will always be corrected. I am sure that Allah has provided us with a window to correct some of the mistakes that we have seen.
“At the appropriate time we are going to be advising the stakeholders on areas that we think mistakes were made so that corrections could be made,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Sub-Committee on Hajj, Sen. Ali Ndume, lauded NAHCON for the successful coordination of the pilgrimage.
Ndume praised the commission’s commitment, coordination and dedication in ensuring that Nigerian pilgrims completed the Hajj rites despite the complex logistical and operational demands involved.
He also acknowledged the contributions of NAHCON management, state pilgrims’ welfare boards, service providers and other stakeholders whose efforts contributed to the success of the exercise.
“The achievements recorded during the 2026 Hajj reflect the commitment of NAHCON and its partners to improving service delivery for Nigerian pilgrims,” he said.
While commending the commission, Ndume urged NAHCON to address the challenges identified during the exercise and build on the successes recorded to further enhance future Hajj operations.
