…Aviation stakeholders urge FG, states on quick intervention ahead of Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia
By Mariyah Adamu, Abuja
Amid spiraling price of aviation fuel from N1,000 per litre to N3,000 stakeholders in the industry have called on the federal and state governments to urgently address the increase in aviation fuel price to ease the transportation of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the forthcoming Hajj in that country.
The stakeholders, under the aegis of Concerned Aviation Stakeholders, said something needs to be done immediately to save the 2026 Hajj operation from severe logistical and financial challenges, following the rising cost of aviation fuel.
President of the group, Alhaji Bukalti Usaman Gamawa, made the call in a statement yesterday.
Gamawa said d that the skyrocketing cost of Jet A1 aviation fuel had continued to threaten the airlift of thousands of Nigerian pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
According him, “Many of the airlines contracted for the 2026 Hajj operations are expected to lease aircraft to meet capacity demands. With the current fuel price increase on both legs, much of their projected profit margin has already been wiped out.
“In some cases, airlines may end up operating at break-even or even at a loss, effectively flying for free after covering lease and operational expenses.
“If urgent action is not taken, some airlines may find it financially impossible to even commence operations from Nigeria or sustain return operations from Saudi Arabia.
Besides, he said that the federal and state Governments no longer provide direct subsidies for Hajj operations in Nigeria.
The President, however, said that stakeholders believed that urgent policy measures, like pricing regulation, forex support, or strategic fuel supply arrangements, may be necessary to prevent the operation from collapsing.
Gamawa said that without swift intervention, coordination, and emergency action from the government, regulators, airlines, and marketers, the 2026 Hajj operation may witness one of the highest fare increases in history.
He said that, in the worst-case scenario, it could even witness operational failure.
“In simple terms, the soaring cost of Jet A1 on both the Nigerian and Saudi sides is the clearest reason why Hajj fares are expected to rise sharply in 2026.
“When Hajj contracts were negotiated and signed, Jet A1 was selling at approximately N1,000 per litre in Nigeria, while the average price on the Saudi side was around $0.68 per litre.
“Airlines structured their fares, logistics, and operational plans around these benchmarks. Today, however, the situation has changed dramatically.
Across major departure points such as Abuja, Kano, Lagos, Maiduguri, Yola, Sokoto and Birnin Kebbi, Jet A1 is now being sold for as much as N3,000 per litre.
“This represents a 200 per cent increase from the original price used in contract projections”,he said.
According to him, this sharp rise has placed airlines in a difficult financial position.
“If they are forced to absorb the increased fuel cost, many may be operating at a loss.
“If pilgrims are made to absorb it, Hajj fares will rise sharply. If government intervenes, it may require emergency support mechanisms despite the removal of Hajj subsidies in Nigeria”, he said.
Gamawa said that for a single aircraft consuming 70,000 litres of Jet A1 per flight, that at the contract benchmark of N1,000/litre, N70 million would be required, while at N2,500/litre N175 million would be required.
“Even if the Nigerian government or local suppliers stabilise Jet A1 prices for the first leg of the Hajj operation from Nigeria to Jeddah or Medina, the return flight remains a major unresolved challenge.
“The price of Jet A1 on the Saudi side has reportedly risen from around $0.68 per litre at the time the Hajj contract was signed to approximately $1.40 per litre now.
“That is more than a 105 per cent increase in dollar terms. For airlines, this creates a double burden: Outbound leg”, he said.
He said that unlike Nigeria, where intervention may come through policy or local refinery arrangements, airlines lifting pilgrims back home from Jeddah must buy fuel at prevailing international market rates in foreign currency.
Meanwhile, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening pilgrims’ education and spiritual preparedness ahead of the 2026 Hajj.
Chairman of NAHCON, Amb. Ismail Abba, said this in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday by Hajiya Fatima Usara, Deputy Director, Information and Publications Division, NAHCON
Abba expressed the commission’s commitment during a strategic engagement and inauguration in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria ,NAN, reports that the meeting brought together 120 respected prominent Islamic clerics from across the country.
They include Prof. Mansur Ibrahim Sokoto, Sheikh Bala Lau and Sheikh Abdulmuhyi Nasir representing Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir.
Others are Sheikh Abdulrahman Olanrewaju Ahmed, Sheikh Nasir Adam, Sheikh Muhammad Kabir Haruna Gombe, Sheikh Usman Usman Dahiru Bauchi, Dr Isa Akindele Solahuddeen among many others.
Central to the discussion was NAHCON’s primary focus on Pilgrims’ Education and Orientation.
The chairman tasked the Ulama to support the commission in conducting intensive sensitisation sessions in multiple languages before and during the Hajj.
Their guidance, he stressed, should focus on equipping pilgrims with clear understanding of the rudiments and essential aspects of Hajj rites so that they can correctly perform their religious obligations.
He reiterated the need for continuous guidance, as well as prompt response to pilgrims’ questions and concerns, particularly in situations involving challenges that may affect the validity of their hajj.
“The Ulama Team will also organise special prayer sessions at key locations during hajj, particularly at Arafat for Nigeria, leaders, national security, unity, peace, and economic prosperity”, he said.
The Ulama collectively emphasised the importance of nurturing the mental readiness of pilgrims, encouraging unity, sincerity, patience, and total devotion to Allah,
They also emphasised the significance of Hajj as a transformative act of worship, affirming their readiness to ensure spiritually fulfilling experience for Nigerian pilgrims.