As Nigerian pilgrims begin their journey to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Hajj exercise, concerns around welfare, compliance, and service delivery remain central to the success of the annual spiritual pilgrimage. In this interview, Abdulwasiu Abdulkadir Banjo, a member of the Assessment and Award Committee of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, speaks on the commission’s oversight responsibilities, standards expected from state pilgrims’ welfare boards, possible sanctions for non-compliance, and why South-West states emerged among the best-performing during this year’s Hajj operations.
A member of the Assessment and Award Committee of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Abdulwasiu Abdulkadir Banjo, has said that South-West states recorded the highest level of compliance and performance during the 2025 Hajj operations.
Speaking during an interview on the committee’s oversight responsibilities, Banjo explained that the committee is tasked with assessing the performance of all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and the Armed Forces during Hajj operations.
“Assalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. I am a member of the Assessment and Award Committee. Our responsibility is to assess the performance of all the state pilgrims’ welfare boards, including the Armed Forces and the FCT, making a total of 38 bodies,” he said.
According to him, the committee evaluates how effectively states and service providers deliver services paid for by pilgrims, both in Nigeria and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“We assess whether pilgrims are getting the services they paid for, the quality of welfare packages, and the conduct of officials assigned to serve them,” he explained.
Using Lagos State as a case study, Banjo said the committee closely monitors officials’ conduct during departure operations, including the provision of welfare materials and the dissemination of information.
“For example, Lagos State commenced its first flight today. We assess how many officials are on ground, whether they are properly attending to pilgrims, and whether the services provided meet the required standards,” he stated.
He said the assessment also covers the quality of travel materials issued to pilgrims, including uniforms, bags, and other logistics.
“We check the quality of the hand luggage, uniforms, and other materials given to pilgrims to ensure they reflect the value paid for,” he added.
Banjo stressed that Hajj officials must see themselves primarily as servants to the pilgrims rather than focusing on their own spiritual activities.
“The pilgrims are going to Saudi Arabia for Ibadah, but the officials are there to serve the guests of Almighty Allah first. Their priority should be the welfare of the pilgrims before their personal worship,” he said.
He commended several South-West states for their level of preparedness and commitment during the ongoing Hajj operations.
“From our assessment so far, states in the South-West are doing very well. Osun, Oyo, and Lagos have shown strong coordination. Their medical teams, executive officials, and welfare personnel were fully on ground monitoring activities and assisting pilgrims,” he noted.
On sanctions for defaulting states, Banjo disclosed that the commission has mechanisms to penalise states that fail to meet required standards.
“If any state fails to provide the services pilgrims paid for, there will be penalties from NAHCON. In some cases, states may have their pilgrimage slots reduced if they lack the capacity to adequately care for pilgrims,” he said.
Although he declined to mention specific states, he recalled that some states had previously been sanctioned following poor performance reports.
“I remember in 2023, one state performed poorly based on our report, but by the following year, they improved significantly after sanctions were applied,” he revealed.
Assessing the overall performance of the 2025 Hajj operations, Banjo expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance recorded across the country.
“Alhamdulillah, the majority of the states complied very well. I am especially impressed with the South-West, which recorded the best compliance for the 2025 Hajj,” he said.
He also urged Nigerian pilgrims to obey Saudi Arabian laws and regulations throughout their stay in the holy land.
“They should remember they are ambassadors of Nigeria and must conduct themselves properly. Pilgrims must obey all rules and directives of the Saudi authorities,” he advised.
Banjo specifically warned pilgrims against violating restrictions around photography and video recordings within the holy mosques.
“This year, Saudi authorities warned against taking pictures or recording videos in certain areas of the Haram. Violators risk fines of up to 4,000 Saudi Riyals, which amounts to several millions of naira,” he cautioned.
He concluded by urging all pilgrims to remain disciplined and focused on the spiritual essence of Hajj.
