Re: Nigeria Hajj Industry: Back To Square One – A Necessary Clarification

RE: NIGERIA HAJJ INDUSTRY: BACK TO SQUARE ONE – A NECESSARY CLARIFICATION

By Abdullahi Mohammad 

The recent piece by Abubakar Jidda Usman titled "Nigeria Hajj Industry: Back To Square One" raises valid concerns about the leadership instability currently rocking the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON). As a keen observer of the industry, I find the author’s alarm regarding the frequent change of guard to be well-founded. However, to ensure the public is not misled, certain historical inaccuracies in his narrative must be corrected, and a more pragmatic path forward must be emphasized.

It is important to set the record straight regarding the tenure of Malam Abdullahi Mukhtar. Contrary to the author’s generalizations about past leadership, Mukhtar remains a benchmark for NAHCON’s leadership, having successfully completed an eight-year tenure as both a Commissioner and Chairman. While the Hajj industry is naturally a lightning rod for criticism, it is a significant fact that Mukhtar was never subjected to the public "drilling" or investigations by anti-corruption agencies that have characterized the exits of the last two chairmen. His era represented a level of administrative stability that the Commission now sorely lacks.

Furthermore, the author’s historical reference to "Sole Administrators" in the Hajj industry is technically flawed. General Ahmad Daku and the late Professor Gwandu did not serve as Sole Administrators of a statutory Commission; rather, they were appointed to head specific ad-hoc committees for Hajj operations during the particular years they served. There is a distinct legal difference between an ad-hoc committee head and a statutory administrator.


That being said, I find myself in total agreement with the suggestion that NAHCON requires a "no-nonsense" intervention to survive its current quagmire. To truly stabilize the Commission, the government should consider appointing a Sole Administrator—specifically an experienced technocrat—who must be given a completely free hand to overhaul the Commission. This administrator’s primary mandate should be to insulate the Hajj process from the mundane material gains and political interference that the author rightly identified as the bane of the industry.

Success for Nigerian pilgrims will remain elusive unless all stakeholders—from lawmakers to state pilgrims’ boards—resolve to put personal and political interests aside. It is indeed a tall order, but a necessary sacrifice. Only a radical administrative reset, led by a seasoned professional, can return NAHCON to a path of diligence, transparency, and service to the pilgrims.