The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has commenced a two-day professional capacity-building programme for licensed Hajj and Umrah tour operators in Kano and Lagos as part of efforts to enhance regulatory compliance, operational efficiency and pilgrims’ welfare ahead of the 2027 Hajj.
The programme, tagged Professional Certificate Programme in Hajj/Umrah Operations and Pilgrim Service Management, is holding on Monday, October 26, and Tuesday, October 27, 2026. It is organised by the Hajj Institute of Nigeria (HIN) in collaboration with the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) and the Hajj and Umrah Tour Operators Association of Nigeria (HUTON).
NAHCON’s Head of Information and Publications Division, Shafii Sani Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
Declaring the programme open, NAHCON Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, said the initiative was designed to prepare Nigerian Hajj and Umrah operators for emerging changes in the global pilgrimage industry, particularly reforms being introduced by Saudi Arabia under its Vision 2030 agenda.
He said the reforms, including the emerging business-to-business (B2B) model, were expected to increase private-sector participation in Hajj operations and gradually transfer greater responsibilities for pilgrims’ management and services to private operators.
Yusuf disclosed that NAHCON had secured a three-year phased transition arrangement with the Saudi authorities, beginning with 30 per cent private-sector participation in the 2027 Hajj.
According to him, the transitional arrangement will provide Nigeria with time to strengthen its regulatory framework, improve operational preparedness and equip licensed operators with the professional capacity required to function effectively under the evolving system.
He urged participants to take the training seriously and embrace the highest standards of professionalism, accountability and service delivery.
The NAHCON chairman stressed that pilgrims’ welfare must remain the priority in all operational and commercial decisions, warning against allowing profit considerations to undermine the quality of services provided to Nigerian pilgrims.
He also reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to professional certification, digital transformation and effective regulatory oversight as key measures for improving the quality and competitiveness of Nigeria’s Hajj and Umrah operations.
The Rector of the Hajj Institute of Nigeria, Professor Muhammad Nasirudeen Maiturare, described professional training as indispensable to modern pilgrimage management, noting that operators needed specialised knowledge and practical skills to meet increasingly complex operational demands.
Maiturare identified corporate governance, risk management, operational coordination and compliance with international service standards as critical areas of competence for operators seeking to remain relevant in the changing global Hajj industry.
He also highlighted the institute’s academic programmes developed in collaboration with relevant educational institutions to strengthen professional training in pilgrimage management.
These include a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme in Hajj Operations Management, organised in collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a National Diploma in Hospitality and Hajj Management, developed in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education.
The two-day programme features sessions on professional ethics, integrated operations management, lessons from the 2026 Hajj, leadership, conflict resolution, pilgrims’ welfare and collaboration with Saudi service providers.
The training is expected to improve the preparedness of licensed operators for the 2027 pilgrimage, particularly as the industry adjusts to new operational arrangements and greater private-sector participation.
It also forms part of NAHCON’s broader efforts to build a more professional, competitive, accountable and pilgrim-centred Hajj and Umrah industry capable of meeting international standards while safeguarding the interests of Nigerian pilgrims.
