Kano Pilgrims Board Gives 5 September For Final E-Passports Submission
From Muhammad Kabir, Kano
The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board, has warned Intending Pilgrims who paid their Money but failed to submit their E-Passports to do so on or before 5th September 2026 or lose going to Hajj 2027.
The Director General of the Board, Abubakar Ibrahim Mata wale, announced the deadline of Sept. 5 for pilgrims who had paid their fares but had not submitted their e-passports, warning that those who failed to meet the deadline would have their money refunded and their slots allocated to standby pilgrims.
The DG, hints that he is having 200 pilgrims standing by with their passports and cheques of N7.6 million, plus the Hajj fare, and anybody who failed to meet the deadline would automatically be replaced with them
Matawalle added that the board would replace pilgrims who failed to complete their documentation with those on the standby list in order to meet NAHCON’s deadline.
He warned that any unutilised slots after Sept. 10 would be taken over by NAHCON and reallocated to other states in need of additional slots.
The DG also assured pilgrims that lessons had been learnt from the challenges encountered during the previous Hajj operation, particularly accommodation, pilgrims’ identification cards, known as “Masuk”, and airlift arrangements.
He said the board had taken measures to ensure that pilgrims would not experience the long delays they encountered previously before receiving their Masuk identification cards.
According to him, the card is crucial because it identifies pilgrims and helps prevent them from being subjected to difficulties by Saudi authorities.
He assured intending pilgrims of improved arrangements and better services during the 2026 Hajj operation.
Matawalle gave the assurance during an interview with members of the Kano Correspondents Chapel at the NUJ Press Center, Kano, Monday.
He explained that he assumed leadership of the board under a critical situation with limited time to complete preparations for the pilgrimage.
“Several essential arrangements, including visa processing, Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) and pilgrims’ sensitisation, ought to have commenced one or two months before his appointment.
According to him, despite the challenges, the board was able to clear the outstanding issues and meet the deadline set by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and Saudi authorities for uploading pilgrims’ passports for visa processing.
He said staff of the board worked round the clock, including during Ramadan, to ensure that all necessary documentation was completed within the stipulated timeframe.
Matawalle said Kano was, to the best of his knowledge, among the states that successfully secured visas for all its allocated 3,600 pilgrims within the required period during the previous operation.
He explained that after taking over the board, he reviewed the previous arrangements, identified areas where challenges occurred and initiated measures to address the lapses ahead of the 2026 Hajj.
The DG said one of his major priorities was to ensure decent accommodation, feeding, medical services and general welfare for pilgrims, enabling them to perform their religious obligations without unnecessary stress.
He disclosed that the board would reduce the number of accommodation facilities for Kano pilgrims from about nine or 10 houses used previously to only two houses for the 2026 operation.
According to him, the reduction will make it easier for officials to monitor pilgrims, provide essential services and promptly address their needs.
Matawalle said Kano’s allocation had been reduced to 3,050 pilgrims following the reduction in Nigeria’s overall Hajj allocation by Saudi authorities.
He explained that Nigeria was allocated 90,000 slots previously, but only about 50,000 pilgrims were eventually transported due to failure by some states to utilise their allocations.
He, however, said all the 3,050 seats allocated to Kano had already been exhausted, urging intending pilgrims who had paid their fares but were yet to submit their e-passports to do so within the stipulated period.
On accommodation, Matawalle said the board might not be able to secure facilities extremely close to the Grand Mosque but assured pilgrims that the distance would be significantly better than what they experienced previously.
He further disclosed that discussions had been held with the airline to ensure that Kano pilgrims were not among the last pilgrims to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia.
“Last year, we were almost the last people to be airlifted to Saudi Arabia. This time around, we will never be the last. If we cannot be the first, we will definitely be the second or be in the middle,” he said.
Matawalle urged pilgrims to cooperate with the board by completing all documentation and complying with directives, assuring them that the board was committed to providing a smoother and more organised Hajj operation in 2026.
