Ibrahim Muhammad
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has introduced strict new rules for the 2026 Hajj covering flights, pilgrim grouping, medical fitness, and data submission.
The directives were announced after a meeting with State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards and accredited airlines, with a statement issued on December 4, 2025.
NAHCON ordered Hajj carriers to issue flight tickets to pilgrims ahead of departure so they can know their exact travel schedule. This move is also aimed at reducing wrong data submissions to Saudi Arabia, which have previously affected the distribution of Nusuk cards and other logistics.
A major change for 2026 is that any pilgrim who misses their scheduled flight will face serious consequences.
The commission will also upload compulsory pre-arrival data to the Saudi Nusuk Masar platform 72 hours before each flight.
*FG Sets December 20 Deadline to Pay Contractors*
The Federal Government has assured road contractors that all verified outstanding payments will be cleared before December 20, 2025. This follows several days of protests by contractors alleging huge unpaid debts and stalled funding for completed projects.
Minister of Works David Umahi made the announcement during the reopening of the repaired Keffi Flyover in Nasarawa State.
He said President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged the backlog and approved the setup of a special committee to review and settle the debts.
Contractors had earlier protested at the Ministry of Finance, claiming the government owed them about N4 trillion and demanding immediate payment of N760bn.
Umahi urged the contractors to stop protesting, assuring them that the President has given firm instructions for payments to be made within days.
He added that even contractors handling the Maraba–Keffi axis, including China Harbour Engineering Company, will get their payments in the upcoming disbursement.
