By Olugbenga Salami
The Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, Media Monitoring Team has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, and appointed air carriers for a smooth and well-coordinated offshore airlift, while raising concerns over operational lapses at some departure centres.
In an interim report released to update stakeholders on its observations since the start of this year’s Hajj, the committee said compliance and coordination by the four Hajj carriers had helped ensure a seamless start to airlift operations.
Committee Chairman, Nasiru Lawal disclosed that 17,362 pilgrims had been airlifted to Saudi Arabia on 41 flights so far.
“The IHR Monitoring Committee wishes to inform the public that the team has been actively monitoring the ongoing airlift of Nigerian pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the coordination of NAHCON.
“To ensure objectivity and independence, we adopted a ‘no-see’ monitoring approach, assessing the exercise without direct interference or prior notice to stakeholders,” the report stated.
The team commended the four carriers for largely adhering to approved flight schedules, noting that their compliance had contributed to the smooth commencement of operations.
However, it observed lapses in responsiveness of some officials to pilgrims’ needs at departure centres, saying “many pilgrims find it difficult to identify the appropriate personnel to approach for assistance.”
To address this, the committee recommended that NAHCON make it mandatory for all officials, especially those from state pilgrims boards, to wear clearly identifiable uniforms with tags to improve accessibility and accountability.
The IHR also expressed concern over the method used by some State Pilgrims Welfare Boards to disburse Basic Travel Allowance, BTA, describing the process as “rowdy and disorganised” and a risk to pilgrims’ funds, and called for a more structured and secure approach.
It further urged security agencies to strengthen access control at departure points, suggesting that only verified pilgrims and authorised personnel be allowed into restricted areas to maintain order and safety.
The IHR reaffirmed its commitment to providing credible, independent feedback aimed at improving Hajj operations for Nigerian pilgrims.
