The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that the return airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has entered its tenth day and is progressing steadily in line with the return flight slots allocated to the designated air carriers.
So far, a total of 17,347 pilgrims have been successfully transported back to Nigeria.
Several states have completed the return journey of their pilgrims, including Nasarawa, Gombe, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Jigawa, Kwara, and Plateau states. Meanwhile, Lagos, Kebbi, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have achieved between 65 and 80 per cent completion.
NAHCON explained that some states are yet to commence return flights due to its first-in, first-out policy, which is being strictly implemented by the airlines.
For instance, pilgrims from the South-South states departed Nigeria on 19 May 2026, while those from Kano and Kaduna began their outbound journeys on 16 and 14 May 2026, respectively.
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States yet to begin the return airlift include Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara, as well as the Armed Forces contingent.
NAHCON noted that for states such as Adamawa and Taraba, whose pilgrims departed earlier, their designated carrier is still transporting pilgrims according to its allocated airlift slots.
The Commission emphasised that the return schedule is determined by the slots secured by each airline and has directed all carriers to complete operations within the agreed 19-day airlift window, which covers accommodation, feeding, transportation, and medical services for pilgrims.
NAHCON further stated that contingency measures will be activated where necessary if any airline appears unable to meet the agreed schedule.
The Chairman of NAHCON, Ismail Yusuf, assured pilgrims, their families, and the general public that all Nigerian pilgrims would return home well before the Saudi deadline for pilgrims’ departure, which falls on 15 Muharram 1448 AH (30 June 2026).
The Commission expressed appreciation to pilgrims, their families, airlines, and other stakeholders for their cooperation and pledged to continue providing regular updates on the return airlift operation.
