Governor’s early intervention secures all 950 NAHCON allocations ahead of Saudi Arabia’s strict December 5 deadline.

By Sadiq Abdulfatah

Gombe State has secured its full allocation of Hajj slots for the 2026 pilgrimage after the state government paid over ₦5 billion to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), meeting the December 5th remittance deadline mandated by Saudi authorities.

Briefing journalists on the development, the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Sa’adu Hassan, said Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya approved the intervention to ensure intending pilgrims from the state are not excluded due to the accelerated global payment schedule.

According to him, “This gesture stems from His Excellency’s magnanimous concern to ensure that Gombe State’s intending pilgrims are not left out of the 2026 Hajj exercise despite the early deadline set by Saudi authorities.”

He explained that Saudi Arabia directed all participating countries to complete their Hajj fare payments within the first week of December to allow adequate time for planning and logistics for the 2026 pilgrimage.

Alhaji Hassan revealed that when the matter was presented to the governor, fewer than 100 intending pilgrims in Gombe had completed their payments. This prompted Governor Yahaya to approve a ₦5 billion bailout, enabling the state to secure all its allotted slots while giving intending pilgrims flexibility to complete payment until the end of December 2026, instead of the imminent December 5 cutoff.

He expressed deep appreciation to the governor for what he described as a critical and timely intervention, assuring that the funds would be fully refunded to the state government.

The Executive Secretary urged intending pilgrims to take full advantage of the lifeline, emphasizing that the board will adopt a “first come, first serve” system for slot allocation. He stressed that early payment remains key to seamless arrangements both in Nigeria and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Alhaji Hassan added that the board has already secured quality accommodations and concluded key logistical preparations in Saudi Arabia to ensure a smooth and spiritually rewarding Hajj experience for Gombe pilgrims.

For the 2026 Hajj exercise, NAHCON allocated 950 slots to Gombe State.

Source: Leadership Newspape