• No Further Registration for Pilgrimage: NAHCON
Nigeria’s inaugural Hajj 2025 flight is set to depart from Owerri, the capital of Imo State, on Friday, May 9. A total of 315 pilgrims from Imo, Abia, and Bayelsa States are expected to be on board the Air Peace flight.
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, is slated to attend the ceremony as the Special Guest of Honour, while the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, will serve as the host, according to a statement issued by Fatima Sanda Usara, Assistant Director of Information and Publication, NAHCON.
The statement noted that NAHCON’s advance team arrived in Owerri on Wednesday to finalize preparations for the event.
In the same statement, the Commission confirmed that registration for the 2025 Hajj officially closed on Friday, May 2. The registration deadline had previously been extended through the intervention of the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, despite the closure of contractual arrangements on March 25.
“Stoppage of further registration became necessary in order for the Commission to concentrate on the airlift of pilgrims, with sufficient resources to ensure their comfort,” the statement read. “Hence, any Hajj fare deposit received after May 2 will be duly refunded.”
As of the registration deadline, 40,671 intending pilgrims had been recorded under the government quota.
In addition to the Owerri departure, four other flights are scheduled to depart simultaneously on the same day. These include a Max Air flight from Bauchi, two FlyNas flights—one from Kebbi and another from Osun (via Lagos)—and a fourth flight from Niger State. Collectively, these flights will transport a total of 2,528 pilgrims to Madinah on the first day.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, alongside the Commissioners for Operations, PPMF, PRSILS, and other senior management staff, arrived at Port Harcourt International Airport in preparation for the inaugural flight from Owerri.
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