Nigeria’s National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) is facing mounting accusations of bias after it reportedly consulted only one operators’ association when drawing up a sweeping new financial requirement for the 2027 Hajj season, leaving other recognised industry bodies entirely out of the conversation.
Sources who attended the relevant meeting say NAHCON engaged exclusively with the Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) to discuss the newly announced N250 million bank guarantee requirement — a condition that will directly affect every licensed operator in the country. The Hajj and Umrah Tour Operators Association of Nigeria (HUTOUN) and other established industry groups were, according to those sources, given no seat at the table whatsoever.
The controversy has since taken a sharper turn following checks on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) portal, which reportedly show that AHUON — registered under RC 24067 on 14 June 2007 — currently carries an “Inactive” status. That finding has left stakeholders questioning how a body whose corporate standing appears to have lapsed was selected as the preferred interlocutor for a policy decision of this magnitude, while active and fully registered associations were excluded.
Industry players are now demanding that NAHCON explain, with clarity and on the record, the legal and regulatory criteria it applies when determining which associations it recognises and engages on policy matters.
Legal practitioner Surajo Abdul has weighed in with a pointed constitutional argument. He cited Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which guarantees every citizen and organisation the right to freedom of association, contending that NAHCON’s reported conduct cuts directly against that constitutional guarantee. He further noted that while Section 4(1)(a) of the NAHCON Act does confer on the Commission the authority to regulate and supervise associations involved in Hajj and Umrah operations, that power carries no licence to sideline duly registered associations or extend preferential treatment to one body over others.
“Every legally recognised and compliant Hajj and Umrah operators’ association should have equal access to engagement with the Commission,” Abdul said, adding that regulatory oversight must be exercised fairly, impartially and without discrimination.
The questions now being directed at the Commission are pointed and specific.
The broader demand from industry stakeholders is straightforward: NAHCON must adopt an inclusive approach that brings all legitimate operators to the table on decisions that affect the entire sector. Equal treatment and strict adherence to due process, they argue, are not optional niceties — they are the foundation on which confidence in the Commission, and the long-term health of Nigeria’s Hajj and Umrah industry, ultimately rests.
NAHCON had not issued a public response to the allegations at the time of publication.