2027 HAJJ: Lagos Appeals for Over 2000 Pilgrims' Slots, Seeks Improved Welfare
The Lagos State Government has appealed to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, for additional Hajj slots to accommodate the growing number of intending pilgrims for the 2027 Holy Pilgrimage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ibrahim Layode, made the appeal during a recent engagement with the pre-2027 Hajj assessment team from NAHCON led by the Commissioner of Operations, Inspectorate and Licensing, Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi. Layode described the 1,224 slots allocated to Lagos for the 2027 exercise as grossly inadequate, stressing that the State would need a minimum of 2,500 slots to meet demand. “Lagos has consistently performed well in Hajj operations. Before my predecessor, Prince Anofiu Olanrewaju Elegushi, left office, he airlifted 3,661 pilgrims in the 2023 operations alone. Since I assumed office in 2024, we have sustained the tempo. We airlifted 1,600 pilgrims in 2026, and we are already proje...