The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has sold all 3,050 slots allocated to the state for the 2027 Hajj, its Director-General, Abubakar Ibrahim Matawalle, has disclosed.
Matawalle, who spoke with journalists in Kano, said the achievement followed sustained appeals to intending pilgrims to pay their fares and complete the required documentation. He, however, disclosed that more than 200 pilgrims are on standby after securing their international passports and making the necessary payments, ready to take up any slots that may become vacant.
The director-general urged pilgrims who have paid their fares but are yet to submit their e-passports to do so by September 5, warning that failure to meet the deadline could result in the loss of their slots. He said the deadline was necessary to enable the board meet the documentation and visa-processing requirements of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Matawalle also warned that unutilised slots could be withdrawn and reallocated to other states if Kano fails to upload the required number of pilgrims within the stipulated period. He said the board was reviewing its accommodation arrangements, with plans to reduce the number of houses used for pilgrims from about nine or 10 to two, to improve the coordination of feeding, medical services, monitoring and general welfare.
He added that the board was committed to improving services for Kano pilgrims during the 2027 Hajj by addressing challenges experienced during the previous exercise. Matawalle recalled that Kano successfully secured visas for all 3,600 pilgrims during the last Hajj after officials worked round the clock to meet the passport-uploading deadline.
