Dr Shehu Muhammed, an expert in Hajj affairs, has called on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and other stakeholders to embrace a well-financed and coordinated system to ensure best operational practice in future Hajj exercises.
Muhammed, a former Special Assistant (Technical) to the NAHCON Chairman, made the call on Thursday at the 2025 Post-Hajj Lectures and Awards organised by the Independent Hajj Reporters in Abuja.
The event, themed “For the Interest of the Pilgrims,” examined how Nigeria could improve its Hajj management framework.
Muhammed stressed that efficient Hajj operations would only be achieved when adequate funding, staff recruitment, training and accountability are prioritised.
“We have competent staff who are willing to work. What remains is for the National Hajj Institute to provide structured training models and certify them as professionals,” he said.
He advocated a review of the Hajj Act to make it more inclusive, while aligning annual operational plans with the Saudi Hajj calendar. He also recommended adopting an ICT-driven system to track pilgrim payments and improve transparency.
“If someone makes a payment today in Makarfi, Kaduna, NAHCON’s central dashboard should reflect it instantly. A fragmented system at state level creates inefficiencies, so we need a unified national payment system,” he added.
In his remarks, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, National Coordinator of the Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), said the organisation was committed to promoting journalism that prioritises pilgrims’ welfare.
“Without pilgrims, there will be no Hajj administrators. Our goal is to champion policies that protect their interests,” he said.
He explained that IHR was developing a partnership with the Hajj Institute of Nigeria to train journalists covering Hajj operations, to familiarise them with the complexities of the cross-border exercise involving multiple agencies.
“We provide year-round updates for those managing pilgrims’ welfare, comparing standards in other countries with Nigeria’s. As a registered NGO and multimedia organisation, our focus remains advocating workable policies and enlightening pilgrims,” he said.
(NAN)