Zulum Orders Borno Hajj Commission to Strengthen Unity, Begin 2027 Preparations
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has directed the Borno State Hajj Commission to strengthen internal cooperation and adopt collective decision-making to improve the management of future Hajj operations.
The governor gave the directive while receiving the commission’s report on the 2026 Hajj exercise, assuring members that the state government would carefully study the document before engaging both permanent and non-permanent commissioners, alongside relevant officials, to review the successes, challenges and lessons from the pilgrimage.
Zulum identified poor synergy and misunderstandings among members as the commission’s major challenge, stressing that unity was essential for effective service delivery.
He urged the Executive Chairman to provide stronger leadership and ensure all members worked together, noting that both permanent and non-permanent commissioners played vital roles in the commission’s success.
The governor also instructed the commission to commence preparations for the 2027 Hajj immediately, citing the possibility that payment deadlines could fall as early as September in line with Saudi Arabia’s increasingly stringent Hajj timelines.
He further assured the commission that the state government would review the welfare and remuneration of its members while addressing other operational challenges affecting the agency.
Zulum Orders Borno Hajj Commission to Strengthen Unity, Begin 2027 Preparations
Earlier, the Executive Chairman of the Borno State Hajj Commission, who assumed office in September 2025, highlighted reforms introduced under his administration to improve accountability and service delivery.
He disclosed that the commission had paid approximately N284.45 million in refunds to pilgrims who participated in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Hajj exercises.
The chairman also described the 2026 pilgrimage as successful, attributing the achievement to the Borno State Government’s support of more than N2.1 billion, which covered accommodation and other critical welfare needs for pilgrims.
The governor’s directives align with ongoing nationwide efforts by state pilgrims’ boards and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria to begin preparations early for the 2027 Hajj in compliance with Saudi Arabia’s revised planning and payment schedule.
