The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has set N8.5m as the tentative fare for the 2026 Hajj exercise.

This was contained in a statement issued by NAHCON’s Assistant Director Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara, on Thursday.

The statement said the fare was decided after a post-Hajj meeting with the Chairmen and Secretaries of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards to review the 2025 Hajj operations.

It said the fare is pending final negotiations on all service contracts.

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According to the statement, Nigeria also retained its 95,000-slot allocation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the allocation of slots to state welfare boards remains as it were last year.

‘’NAHCON’s Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his steadfast support to Nigerian pilgrims and the Commission, ‘’the statement said.

It highlighted the Federal Government’s intervention that enabled Hajj carriers to accept payments in Naira, shielding pilgrims from foreign exchange shocks.

Also, the Commissioner in charge of Planning, Research and Statistics, Information and Library Services ( PRSILS), Prof. Abubakar Abubakar Yagawal, led discussions on the 2026 Hajj Calendar, while Commissioner Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, led discussions on operational matters.

Particularly, Prince Elegushi opened the floor for discussions on the possible rollover of contracts for the four airlines that operated during the 2025 Hajj, citing time constraints and bureaucratic hurdles juxtaposed with the Saudi calendar and its expectations from Hajj participating countries.

This, he said will give room for Nigeria to book airlift slots early.