• As NSCIA mourns Grand Mufti’s death

Barely weeks after the close of the 2025 pilgrimage, Nigeria’s hajj preparations have begun in earnest, with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) moving fast to secure better services for its pilgrims and avoid the logistical chaos marred by past operations.

With 95,000 slots confirmed for Nigerian pilgrims in 2026, the country’s Hajj authorities are breaking with the traditional last-minute approach, aligning immediately with the stringent operational calendar released by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

NAHCON Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, is currently leading a high-level delegation in the Kingdom, focused squarely on securing early contracts for accommodation and transportation, a key lesson learned from the challenges of previous years.

The push comes as NAHCON seeks to manage mounting logistical demands and the likelihood of rising costs. By initiating early negotiations, the commission hopes to secure more favourable terms and secure commitments that will guarantee a smoother experience for Nigerian pilgrims.

MEANWHILE, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has joined the Muslim community in mourning the death of Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti and Head of the Council of Senior Scholars, Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh.

The prominent cleric reportedly passed on Tuesday at the age of 82 and was buried in Riyadh after a funeral prayer at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque. In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the NSCIA condoled with the Charge D’Affaires of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Abuja, Saad Almarri, over the death.

The NSCIA, under the leadership of its President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, recalled that, being the Grand Mufti for over two decades, Sheikh Al-Sheikh made significant contributions to the science of Islamic jurisprudence and issued landmark rulings that influenced the Saudi society and the entire Muslim world.