The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has fixed September 5, 2026, as the deadline for 2027 intending pilgrims who have paid their Hajj fares but are yet to submit their electronic passports.
The Director-General of the Board, Alhaji Abubakar Matawalle, announced this in Kano, warning that pilgrims who fail to meet the deadline risk losing their 2027 allocated slots.
Matawalle said; “the decision was necessary to enable Kano meet the timeline set by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the processing of 2027 pilgrims’ travel documents and visas.”
He explained that “while the state’s available Hajj slots had been fully subscribed, more than 200 intending pilgrims were already on standby with their passports and proof of payment.”
Matawalle said; “the board would refund the fares of pilgrims who fail to submit their e-passports and replace them with qualified people on the waiting list.”
He said the measure also aimed at ensuring that Kano does not lose any portion of its allocation to other states due to failure to meet the documentation deadline.
Matawalle explained that Kano’s allocation had been reduced to 3,050 pilgrims, following a reduction in Nigeria’s overall Hajj quota by the Saudi Arabian authorities.
He assured pilgrims that the board had learnt from challenges encountered during the previous Hajj and introduced measures to improve accommodation, healthcare, transportation and general welfare.
According to him, “the number of accommodation facilities for Kano pilgrims will be reduced from about nine or ten houses to two, making it easier for officials to monitor their welfare and provide essential services.”
He also promised improvements in the proximity of accommodation to the Haram, saying the difficulties experienced by pilgrims during the previous operation would be addressed.
On the Nusuk identity card, Matawalle said; “the board had taken measures to prevent delays in issuing the identification document, which is required by pilgrims during the Hajj.”
He further disclosed that arrangements were underway to ensure Kano pilgrims were not among the last groups to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia.
Matawalle also announced the decentralisation of medical screening for intending pilgrims, saying screening would be conducted across the 44 local government areas of the state.
He said; “We have also introduced a new system this year, inshallah. Instead of pilgrims to be screened centrally at the pilgrims’ camp, I decided now to decentralise the screening exercise.
“It will be done in each and every local government. I’m trying to avoid a situation which happened this year where some pilgrims were on their way to the screening exercise, they had an accident and some of them died. I will not allow that to happen again this year, inshallah.”
“By introducing this new strategy, it will give me a clear picture of the health condition of each and every pilgrim. And the centre officer responsible for that local government will be briefed to ensure that pilgrims are adequately taken care of in Saudi Arabia. Where we see that pilgrims cannot perform Hajj, definitely we cannot take them. We will definitely reverse the allocation given to them. That is the Nigerian arrangement.”
He explained that the arrangement would reduce the risks associated with long-distance movement of pilgrims and allow health officials to identify and manage medical conditions before departure.
Matawalle urged all pilgrims who have paid their fares but are yet to submit their e-passports to comply with the September 5 deadline, stressing that the board would not compromise the timeline set for the Hajj preparations.
