2025 Hajj: Nigeria Faces Accommodation Crisis In Makkah

Nigeria is grappling with accommodation difficulties in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, ahead of the 2025 Hajj due to the failure to enter housing details for pilgrims under the state quota into the Saudi electronic Nusuk platform.

Reports from The Nation indicate that officials from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards (SMPWB) are now scrambling to secure alternative accommodations, having lost premium reservations to other countries.

Many of these states, particularly from the Northwest, Northeast, North-central, and South, have been displaced from the high-quality hotels they had occupied for years.

Securing accommodation is a prerequisite for obtaining a Hajj visa via the Nusuk platform.

According to a source at the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, the situation could have resulted in Nigerian pilgrims missing this year’s Hajj, but Saudi authorities extended the accommodation deadline by ten days.

“Luckily, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had extended the accommodation deadline from March 25 to April 4,” a Hajj official in Saudi Arabia stated.

To meet the new deadline, Nigerian officials must urgently secure fresh accommodations and upload the details onto the platform.

Failure to do so means pilgrims from affected states will be unable to obtain visas and, consequently, miss the 2025 Hajj.

Allegations of Mismanagement

Many stakeholders are blaming NAHCON for the accommodation crisis. Findings reveal that while NAHCON had initially advertised and shortlisted accommodation providers, the commission failed to make the required advance payments to secure these reservations.

This allowed other countries to take over the previously booked accommodations.

A NAHCON staff member disclosed that states were unaware they had lost their accommodations until close to the March 25 deadline. “The NAHCON ICT team only realized late that most of the booked houses were no longer available, leading to this last-minute scramble,” the staffer explained.

As a result, states are now securing whatever accommodations remain, regardless of location, service quality, or price.

“States pilgrim boards are now scavenging for houses from NAHCON’s non-accredited service providers just to meet up with the new deadline. Nobody is talking about quality or standard anymore. The key word now is availability,” a NAHCON official remarked.

It has also emerged that NAHCON introduced a new list of housing providers who were not previously accredited.

The commission set a uniform benchmark of SR3,000 per pilgrim bed space, a move some insiders criticize as morally questionable since accommodation prices typically vary based on proximity to the Holy Mosque and service quality.

With time running out, some states have resorted to booking accommodations that cost far less than SR3,000, fearing that failing to secure any lodging would mean their pilgrims cannot participate in the Hajj.

“I don’t have any option now. I just need houses for my pilgrims. Without securing a hotel for them, my pilgrims won’t come to the 2025 Hajj. That is our dilemma now. Nobody is talking about quality. Our concern is availability,” a state pilgrims’ board official from the Southwest lamented.

Some NAHCON officials have also been accused of exploiting the situation, using the crisis as an opportunity to profit from desperate state officials.

“Accommodation agents are having a field day, capitalizing on the desperation of Nigerian state officials. Some well-connected NAHCON staff are also using this as a conduit to siphon funds,” an insider alleged.

Possible Backlash from Pilgrims

There are growing concerns that Nigerian pilgrims may protest the accommodation arrangements once they arrive in Makkah, given the lower standards of lodging being secured at the last minute.

“The Makkah accommodations are central to Hajj because pilgrims spend more than 80 percent of their days there,” a commission official warned.

Allegations have also surfaced that NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, used all available funds to pay two Masha’ir service providers instead of securing accommodations.

Reports claim he made full payments to Mashariq Aldhahabiah for 35,000 pilgrims and Ekram Aldyf for 25,000 pilgrims, despite Nigeria only booking 52,000 pilgrims for Masha’ir services.

Observers are questioning why NAHCON paid for 60,000 pilgrims when the official quota is lower.

Meanwhile, the chairman is currently in Saudi Arabia with about 50 staff members, though critics claim they have no defined roles in resolving the crisis.

Some insiders allege that certain staff members are manipulating the situation for personal gain. “It is a kind of a rat race. Everyone is scavenging for a carcass to feast on,” an official alleged.

NAHCON’s Response

In a statement on Sunday, Professor Usman dismissed concerns of any impending crisis and assured that preparations for a smooth 2025 Hajj are in place.

He called for cooperation from all stakeholders, emphasizing that he has been engaging with key players, including tour operators, Saudi service providers, state pilgrims’ boards, and health officials, to ensure seamless operations.