Executive Secretary of the Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Imam Ibrahim Idris, has been honoured as the Best Performing State Executive Secretary at the 2026 Hajj Lecture and Awards organised by the Independent Hajj Reporters in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, held at the National Mosque Auditorium, with the theme: “Exploring Business Opportunities in Hajj and Umrah Ecosystem.” the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, said the Hajj sector was undergoing major transformation, with opportunities for Nigerian businesses to benefit from the growing global Hajj economy.
He disclosed that the allocation for Nigerian private Hajj operators could increase from about 9,000–10,000 pilgrims to around 25,000, following recent policy changes by the Saudi authorities.
Ambassador Ismail said the global Hajj economy is estimated at about 150 billion dollars, while Nigeria contributes nearly 300 million dollars, stressing the need for Nigerians to benefit more from the sector through job creation, investment and improved services.
He also assured that NAHCON would continue to strengthen its compliance mechanisms to protect pilgrims and ensure service providers deliver value for money.
Earlier, the National Coordinator, Independent Hajj Reporters, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad, said the theme of the lecture was deliberately chosen to expand public understanding of Hajj beyond transportation, accommodation, feeding and other conventional services.
Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad described Hajj as not only a major religious obligation but also a significant global economic ecosystem involving aviation, hospitality, healthcare, technology, financial services, agriculture, retail and logistics.
The National Coordinator, also stressed the need for continuous improvement in Hajj administration at both state and national levels, particularly in professionalism, capacity building, technology, documentation and service delivery.
He said the recognition awards presented at the event were based on assessments by the Independent Hajj Reporters and its monitoring team, covering government Hajj agencies, state pilgrims’ welfare boards, commissioners and private Hajj operators.
The recognition of Imam Ibrahim Idris as Best Performing State Executive Secretary therefore formed part of the organisers’ efforts to acknowledge individuals and institutions considered to have contributed to improved Hajj administration and service delivery.
The 2026 Hajj Lecture and Awards brought together stakeholders from the Hajj sector, government officials, private Hajj operators, media practitioners and other industry players to discuss ways of positioning Nigeria to benefit from the growing global Hajj and Umrah economy.