As Stakeholder Harps on Regular Use of NUSUK Card
By Adedamola Adegoke / Emmanuel Olagunju
The officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria led by its Chairman, Amb. Ismail Abba Yusuf on Thursday, conducted on -spot assessment of facilities in Arafat and Mina to ensure Nigerian pilgrims have good memories during the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.
The inspection tour carried out alongside officials of the States Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board Nationwide , and other relevant stakeholders was to ensure the arrangements are worthwhile.
Part of the facilities inspected by the team included tents, beds ,kitchens , toilets and a host of others .
In a chat with journalists shortly after the inspection, the NAHCON Chairman , Ambassador Yusuf, expressed optimism that the arrangements will accommodate all the Nigerian pilgrims participating in the 2026 Hajj .
He hinted that the attention of the service provider has been drawn to observations made during the inspection, assuring that improvements will continue to be demanded wherever shortcomings are observed.
“We are here to see the preparations that have been made. The work is ongoing, so, what you saw isn’t the end of it. Where we see mistakes, we tell them what we want so that the pilgrims get the best in this environment,” he said.
“Mina is just about seven point five kilometers and is supposed to accommodate close to two million people, over two million actually and that’s a little space. This seven point five kilometers covers also the hills, not just the plain of Mina. It’s a very difficult space to manage,” he explained.
“ In as much as we want our pilgrims to show understanding, we want them to have minimum comfort, though, Hajj requires perseverance, that’s when you get reward for the hardship,” he added.
Speaking on his position regarding the available facilities and arrangements,the NAHCON Chairman explained that adequacy remains top priority and not
satisfaction.
He speaks further “It’s not about being impressed or not, it’s whether the arrangements are adequate. This is a very large crowd, so it’s about adequacy and minimum comfort, which is what we are seeing.”
Member , International Organization for Migration, Muhammad Kabir Adam , lauded Nigerian pilgrims for being good ambassadors of the country in the Holy land.
“So far, Nigerians are displaying honesty in the Holy land , they found people’s belongings and they returned them. We are very happy , we thank them for this and urge them to keep doing the same.
In his remarks , Imam , Abuja National Mosque, Professor Kabir Adam emphasised the need for the pilgrims to remain in door during the day as ordered recently by the government of Saudi Arabia. He also advised the Nigerian pilgrims to always be with their NUSUK cards to prevent unforeseen circumstances.
