By Musa Baba Adamu
Several private Hajj tour operators have threatened to petition President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly (NASS) over alleged irregularities in the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s (NAHCON) approval process for companies seeking to participate in the 2027 Hajj.
The operators alleged that some companies that appeared on NAHCON’s list of qualified applicants did not meet the same requirements imposed on other applicants, raising concerns about fairness and transparency.
According to the operators, more than 230 companies applied for consideration, but only about 140 were listed as qualified, leaving over 90 applicants off the published list.
The affected companies are demanding explanations for their exclusion, particularly because NAHCON has not publicly provided individual reasons for the disqualification of the unsuccessful applicants.
One operator alleged that some companies included on the approved list did not possess two Umrah licences, which the applicants understood to be among the requirements for qualification.
Another claimed that some successful applicants may have submitted their applications after the stipulated deadline.
The operators are also alleging that their refusal to endorse NAHCON’s preferred service provider, Rawaf Mina, may have influenced the decision to deny them Hajj slots. They described the alleged practice as an attempt to push some private tour companies out of the Hajj business.
They called on the Presidency and National Assembly to investigate the qualification process and determine whether the published criteria were applied uniformly to all applicants.
“We are not asking for preferential treatment. We only want the rules to be applied equally and the process to be transparent,” one of the operators said.
The companies warned that continued exclusion could have wider economic consequences, including possible job losses, as employees of affected private tour operators could lose their means of livelihood if the companies are forced out of Hajj operations.
They are asking NAHCON to publish the complete qualification framework, assessment criteria, reasons for disqualification and the basis for selecting companies on the final list.
The operators also want authorities to examine whether the process complied with NAHCON’s established internal procedures, including the roles of its governing board and relevant committees.
Efforts to obtain NAHCON’s response to the allegations were unsuccessful as of press time.
The commission’s former spokesperson, Fatima Usara, was recently transferred to the Pilgrims Education Unit. Her reassignment has also generated concerns among some stakeholders over the commission’s current media communication structure.
The operators said they would proceed with their planned petitions if NAHCON fails to address their concerns, insisting that the selection of companies for Hajj operations must be subject to clear rules, equal treatment and proper scrutiny.
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