2026 Hajj: NAHCON Mobilises 120 Clerics to Strengthen Pilgrims’ Education
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has inaugurated a 120-member Ulama team as part of a renewed strategy to strengthen pilgrims’ education and spiritual guidance ahead of the 2026 Hajj exercise.
NAHCON Chairman, Ambassador Ismail Yusuf Abba, announced the initiative during a strategic engagement with prominent Islamic clerics at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, describing pilgrims’ education as a critical pillar in ensuring a successful pilgrimage.
According to him, the Commission is prioritising intensive enlightenment programmes to help Nigerian pilgrims better understand the essential rites of Hajj before departure and while in Saudi Arabia.
He said the clerics would support the Commission in conducting sensitisation sessions in multiple languages to ensure that pilgrims across the country receive clear and accurate guidance on how to perform their religious obligations correctly.
Abba stressed that the Ulama team would also provide continuous spiritual counselling and respond promptly to religious questions from pilgrims, particularly on issues that could affect the validity of their Hajj.
The engagement brought together respected Islamic scholars from across Nigeria, including Professor Mansur Ibrahim Sokoto, Sheikh Bala Lau, Sheikh Abdulmuhyi Nasir, Sheikh Abdulrahman Olanrewaju Ahmed, Sheikh Nasir Adam and Sheikh Muhammad Kabir Haruna Gombe.
NAHCON said the move is intended to reduce avoidable mistakes during the pilgrimage by integrating religious scholars more directly into the Commission’s Hajj operations framework.
In addition to pre-departure education, the clerics are expected to organise special prayer sessions at key locations during the pilgrimage, especially at Arafat, where supplications will be offered for Nigeria’s peace, security and economic stability.
The Commission said the initiative reflects a broader effort to improve the overall spiritual experience of Nigerian pilgrims while ensuring they are adequately prepared for the demands of the annual pilgrimage.
Members of the Ulama team pledged to work closely with the Commission to deliver a more spiritually fulfilling and well-coordinated Hajj experience for Nigerian pilgrims in 2026.
