Vice President Kashim Shettima has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards for their outstanding and virtually seamless execution of the 2026 Hajj exercise.

?The Vice President gave the commendation on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while receiving the leadership of NAHCON alongside representatives of state pilgrims boards, who visited to present the official post-Hajj operational report and outline plans for future pilgrimages.

?Addressing the delegation, VP Shettima described the operational success of the 2026 exercise as a high benchmark for future pilgrimages, urging stakeholders to build on the momentum to achieve a completely hitch-free operational framework moving forward.

?Earlier in his presentation, NAHCON Chairman, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, briefed the Vice President on the performance of the commission and outlined new policy directives from Saudi Arabian authorities. He explained that in line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the Kingdom is transitioning to a business-to-business model that will cede 98 percent of pilgrim operations to private tour operators.

?Ambassador Yusuf assured the Vice President that NAHCON is fully prepared to adapt to this shift, maintaining its primary regulatory oversight while smoothly transitioning operational logistics to private sector partners.