Inside the Hajj Reporters Refund Claims: Why Nigerians Should Wait for Verified Figures on Hajj 2025
By Aliyu Adamu Kwandiko
Public debate over the 2025 Hajj payments refund took a sharp turn recently when the Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR) announced that more than 44,000 Nigerian pilgrims were entitled to refunds due to alleged excess charges.
But a closer examination reveals that the central pillars of the IHR claim figures, timelines, and comparisons are either incomplete or inconsistent with available evidence. In a country where trust in public institutions is fragile, accuracy is not a luxury; it is a responsibility of each journalist.
The IHR report repeatedly cited 44,000 pilgrims as the basis for its refund calculations. Yet, in its own publication of 29 May 2025, titled “Final Hajj 2025 Flight Departs Abuja, Concluding Nigeria’s Airlift with 41,568 Pilgrims,” the organization acknowledged a different figure entirely, so when even IHR contradicts itself on its published numbers, we believe NAHCON should be given enough time to recalculate so as to avoid such errors.
This is not a minor discrepancy. Refund calculations depend on the number of pilgrims. When the base figure is wrong by thousands, the conclusions drawn from it are automatically compromised. It raises legitimate questions about the methodology behind the analysis.
The report also failed to account for the Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) of $500 per pilgrim, which was to State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards citing only “$4,704.18 and $4,908.18” which is the base fare without the BTA. Any realistic financial breakdown of Hajj costs must include BTA, as it forms part of the total paid by each pilgrim. Ignoring it sends a negative signal as to the motive of report and the target.
Without examining bank transaction records and conversion timelines, it is impossible to assert a conclusive surplus. IHR asserted that NAHCON completed all payments to Saudi service providers between 13 and 15 February a room of only 48 Hours.
However, government-level foreign transfers especially those involving multi-million-dollar transactions do not begin and end within 48 hours. They pass through several verification layers, banking channels, and regulatory checks.
Exchange-rate data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between April and May 2025 show rates fluctuating between ₦1600 and ₦1,606.64 per dollar. Such variation alone has material impact on reconciliation outcomes, yet this context is absent from the report.
The suggestion that “other countries” are issuing Hajj refunds in 2025 also appears overstated. Malaysia regularly cited as a benchmark in Hajj administration has not announced any general refunds for Hajj 2025 as of December 2025.
Central to IHR’s claim is the assertion that “all accounts have been reconciled.” But when our investigation contacted airlines involved in the 2025 Hajj, they confirmed that reconciliation with NAHCON is still ongoing, and some balances are yet to be settled
It is premature to speak of surpluses or deficits before all service providers airlines final invoices and verification is completed.
There is historical evidence that refunds do occur. After the 2023 Hajj, NAHCON returned ₦4.48 billion to state pilgrims’ boards due to inadequate electricity services in Masha’ir. But that refund was only finalized in November 2024, more than a year after the exercise.
This timeline underscores a basic truth: reconciliation is a technical process, not an emotional one. It cannot be rushed to satisfy a news cycle.
At a time when public frustration is high, it is easy for incomplete information to trigger distrust. But watchdog organizations, journalists, and analysts carry a duty to verify before amplifying claims. Accuracy is not merely professional ethics it is a public service.
If reconciliation ultimately reveals excess funds, NAHCON is obligated to publish the figures and process refunds transparently. Nigerians deserve nothing less. But until that process concludes, premature declarations will only fuel anxiety and distort public understanding.
The debate around the 2025 Hajj payments should encourage greater transparency, not deepen suspicion based on unverified numbers.
In moments like these, patience is not weakness. It is the space in which truth is allowed to emerge.
Aliyu Adamu Kwandiko, an Investigative Journalist, lives in Abuja