Hajj 2027: States Battle Deadline as Payments Overshoot Allocated Slots
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
As the deadline for the completion of registration and uploading of intending pilgrims’ data for the 2027 Hajj expires today, several Nigerian states are racing to conclude their lists after payments reportedly made by some states exceeded their approved allocations by more than 2,000 pilgrims.
Findings by Hajj Gazette indicate that some State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards and Agencies have received or remitted payments covering more pilgrims than the number of slots allocated to them, creating a last-minute scramble as the September 26 deadline for pilgrim data upload approaches.
The development comes after Saudi Arabia rejected Nigeria’s request for additional 2027 Hajj slots, leaving the country with a fixed quota of 50,000 pilgrims.
Under the approved arrangement, 35,000 slots are allocated to the states and the Federal Capital Territory, while 15,000 slots are reserved for duly licensed private Hajj tour operators. NAHCON has made clear that the additional-slot issue has effectively been closed following Saudi Arabia’s decision.
With no increase in the national quota expected, states with demand exceeding their allocations now face the challenge of reconciling their paid-up pilgrims with the number of slots available to them.
Hajj 2027: States Battle Deadline as Payments Overshoot Allocated Slots
One possible route some states could explore is engagement with licensed private Hajj operators that still have unutilised spaces within their 15,000-slot allocation, if such seats remain available for sale and the arrangement complies with NAHCON and Saudi regulatory requirements.
However, such a possibility would depend entirely on the availability of legitimate operator slots and the applicable regulatory framework. It would not amount to an increase in Nigeria’s national quota.
NAHCON has already advised intending pilgrims who fail to secure places for the 2027 pilgrimage to plan for the 2028 Hajj, with registration for the subsequent pilgrimage season already opened.
The Commission has also warned that the September 26 deadline for uploading prospective pilgrims’ biometric and registration data onto the Nusuk-Masar platform is final and that no extension will be granted.
The deadline, however, does not represent the final date for all financial obligations. NAHCON has set December 2, 2026, for states to complete remittance of 2027 Hajj fares, although failure to meet the applicable registration and data-upload requirements can lead to forfeiture of allocated slots.
As the registration window closes, attention will now shift to how states reconcile their final lists, particularly where the number of pilgrims who have paid exceeds their approved allocations.
The situation also highlights the growing demand for Hajj slots among Nigerian Muslims, with the fixed 50,000 national quota leaving state authorities with little room to accommodate demand beyond their approved allocations.
