Muslim professional bodies, civil society groups, farmers’ associations and other stakeholders have intensified pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to return the supervision of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The push followed a series of open letters and formal submissions urging the President to reverse the 2023 directive that placed NAHCON under the Office of the Vice President and reinstate the SGF’s long-standing supervisory role.
A coalition of Muslim professionals, led by Hassan Abdullahi and Danladi Bello, traced the historical development of Hajj administration in Nigeria—from the regional Hajj boards of the 1950s to the establishment of the Nigeria Pilgrims Board in 1975, and eventually the creation of NAHCON in 2006 after repeated administrative lapses, including the 1996 suspension of Nigerian pilgrims by Saudi authorities.
They argued that the NAHCON Establishment Act places the Commission “under the Presidency” without assigning supervisory powers to the Office of the Vice President, noting that successive governments exercised this oversight through the SGF as a neutral coordinating body.
“The Act does not say Office of the Vice President. It says Presidency,” the group stated, adding that SGF supervision historically guaranteed stability, inter agency coordination and operational efficiency.
According to the coalition, the 2023 transfer to the Vice President’s office injected political considerations into what should remain a technocratic and coordination driven function, warning that such a shift weakens accountability and blurs reporting lines.
The group cited concrete gains recorded under SGF coordinated oversight, including Nigeria’s full utilisation of its 95,000 Hajj quota in 2023 for the first time in nearly ten years, the successful airlift of over 51,000 government quota pilgrims in 2024 despite economic pressures, and direct accommodation contracting with Saudi landlords that cut out intermediaries and saved millions of naira.
They noted that these achievements were driven by close cooperation among aviation, finance, health, foreign affairs and security agencies, a role the SGF’s office is institutionally designed to manage.
In a separate endorsement, the Amana Farmers and Grains Suppliers Association of Nigeria, AFGSAN, described stability and neutrality in Hajj administration as critical for ordinary Nigerians who spend decades saving for the pilgrimage.
In a letter signed by Aliyu Yunusa Yandutse, Chairman of its Jigawa State chapter, the association urged President Tinubu to restore NAHCON’s supervision to the SGF, noting that the welfare of pilgrims requires administrative consistency rather than politically exposed oversight.
Further weight was added by TSANGAYA, Support Transformation and Empowerment Initiative, whose executives and board members passed a resolution backing the return of NAHCON to SGF supervision after internal deliberations. The group said the move would strengthen efficiency, continuity and accountability.
In an independent letter addressed directly to the President, Goni Ibrahim Garba and Dr Usman Ahmad urged a formal review of NAHCON’s supervisory framework, stressing that the SGF operates as the Presidency’s coordinating arm and is better positioned to align federal ministries and agencies involved in Hajj logistics, foreign exchange approvals, health services and security clearances.
The letter outlined key reasons for the proposed reversal, including legal compliance with the NAHCON Act, operational efficiency, institutional stability across administrations, clearer accountability and improved pilgrim welfare, citing full slot utilisation and cost savings as evidence.
Concerns were also raised by individuals from within the Hajj ecosystem.
Muhammed Suleman Gama of Kano described recent internal tensions within NAHCON as symptoms of avoidable political interference. He praised the current Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, popularly known as Prof. Pakistan, describing his leadership during the last Hajj as the strongest in decades, but warned that undue external pressure risks undermining progress.
Across the submissions, stakeholders shared common demands, stronger bureaucratic coordination, insulation from political disruption, clear oversight lines and protection of Nigeria’s standing with Saudi authorities.
They argue that returning NAHCON to SGF supervision is essential to sustaining recent improvements and safeguarding the interests of more than 160,000 Nigerians who performed Hajj in 2023 and 2024.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency has yet to issue an official response on whether it will review NAHCON’s current supervisory structure.
