NAHCON Yet to Respond to FOI Request on N5bn Hajj Support Fund in the 2025 Budget — Group

NAHCON Yet to Respond to FOI Request on N5bn Hajj Support Fund in the 2025 Budget — Group

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has yet to respond to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request seeking details on the approval and utilisation of a N5 billion Hajj Support Programme, eight months after the inquiry was submitted.

The request was made by Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a non-profit civil society organisation that monitors Hajj operations in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. The FOI letter, dated April 23, 2025, was addressed to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON.

In the letter, IHR requested a detailed breakdown and justification for the N5 billion allocation captured under budget code ERGP202503279 in the commission’s 2025 approved budget. The organisation said the request was made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, in line with its mandate to promote transparency and accountability in Hajj administration.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Office of the Vice President, the Senate Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs, and the House of Representatives Committee on Islamic Pilgrimage.

On Thursday, IHR noted that despite the passage of eight months and the presentation of another budget for consideration, NAHCON has not provided any response or clarification on the inquiry.

The group said the continued silence raises concerns about transparency in the management of public funds allocated to Hajj operations and urged the commission to comply with the provisions of the FOI Act by providing the requested information.