Niger State Governor Alhaji Umoru Bago has criticized the handling of Hajj pilgrimage operations by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), saying the agency has no business handling Hajj operations. Bago said this in series of messages sent from his X (formerly Tweeter) handle. He was speaking against the backdrop of poor handling of the 2024 Hajj operations by NAHCON.

The Niger State Governor called on the Federal Government to allow the private sector to drive Hajj operations. He said: “Let the private sector drives Hajj operations, government should be a regulator; NAHCON should be a regulator at the centre. If NAHCON must exist, then they should strictly be a regulator, but as I have told you, I am leading committee of governors to the NGF, from there to NEC. I will propose a motion, and we will send a bill to the National Assembly where issues of this NAHCON should be reviewed.”

Bago went further to insist that chartering flights and feeding of pilgrims for pilgrims should not be the responsibilities said: “NAHCON has no business in chartering of flights; it is their business to feed the pilgrims. For example,  I am from Niger State, if you allow me to feed pilgrims, I will be able to trans-ship foods that people are locally used to, to Saudi Arabia to feed my own pilgrims. I will be able to get a kitchen that will feed my pilgrims what they are used to, not come here and give them slice of bread or boiled egg, and people are starving. We have different cultures; you cannot force the Arabian cuisines on our people, and that is why they are falling sick.”