Kebbi Recovers N10bn Hajj Loan, Secures 3,629 Pilgrims’ Slots for 2026 Exercise
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
The Kebbi State Government has confirmed the full recovery of the N10 billion financial intervention advanced to support intending pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj, while successfully securing 3,629 Hajj seats for the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed, disclosed this during a media briefing in Birnin Kebbi, describing the outcome as a decisive risk-managed intervention that protected the state’s Hajj allocation without exposing public funds to loss.
According to him, the temporary facility was extended through the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency to bridge payment gaps faced by some intending pilgrims ahead of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s deadline for full remittance. He stated that the arrangement was strictly time-bound and fully recovered within eleven days of disbursement.
Ahmed confirmed that the entire N10 billion had been returned to government accounts by 16 December 2025, stressing that the transaction was fully documented and verifiable through bank and agency records.
He noted that the prompt recovery translated into tangible gains for the state, as Kebbi recorded 3,629 fully paid pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj, ranking second nationwide. The development, he added, has positioned the state among the first batch to be airlifted at the commencement of Hajj operations.
The Commissioner explained that many of the affected pilgrims were farmers and traders whose payments were delayed by seasonal cash-flow cycles, making the intervention a strategic timing solution rather than a bailout.
He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency and prudent resource management, maintaining that the successful recovery of the funds and the secured Hajj slots reflect effective governance and sound financial oversight.
