The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has secured 1,000 bed spaces in Tent A at Mina as part of its preparations for the 2025 Hajj.

The commission is also awaiting further allocation in the premium Tent A Plus category from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Chairman of NAHCON, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, disclosed this during a meeting with private tour operators at the Nigeria Hajj Affairs Office, Ummul Jud, Makkah.

Mina, located about 8 kilometers from the Grand Mosque in Makkah, is a key site during the Hajj pilgrimage where millions of pilgrims stay in tents as they perform the essential rites of Hajj.

It is the location where pilgrims carry out the symbolic stoning of the devil (Ramy al-Jamarat), an important ritual that takes place over several days.

Usman noted that the commission was dedicated to addressing logistical challenges and emphasized the urgency of finalizing arrangements.

He told the gathering that NAHCON was able to book 1,000 bed spaces in Tent A but is still awaiting confirmation about the Tent A Plus allocation from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

He urged the tour operator companies to indicate their interest in the Tent A allocation.

He said time is running out and therefore appealed to them to cooperate with NAHCON for a smooth Hajj operation.

Speaking at the event, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Operations, Inspectorate, Compliance, and Licensing, Prince Anofiu Elegusi, described the meeting as timely.

He said the role of tour operators is very crucial for a successful Hajj and therefore urged them to be open in their dialogue and share ideas for a smooth operation.

The issue of meeting the service providers of Tent A dominated the discussion, as the tour operators requested to meet with them to agree on common grounds.

This, they averred, will avert a recurrence of what happened in 2024.

In response, NAHCON promised to arrange a meeting and inspection of the facilities with the service providers as soon as possible.

Another issue the tour operators raised was the difficulty they are facing in payment on the e-track.

The commission, however, promised to intervene and called on the affected tour operators to provide more detailed information.