Bauchi Hajj Board Boss named best performing 2026 Hajj State Secretary.

By Aliyu Zakari:

The Secretary of the Bauchi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Imam Ibrahim Idris, has been recognised as the Best Performing State Executive Secretary at the 2026 Hajj Lecture and Awards organised by Independent Hajj Reporters in Abuja.

The award, presented at the National Mosque Auditorium, recognised Imam Ibrahim Idris for his contribution to effective Hajj administration and improved service delivery to pilgrims.

Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, said the Hajj sector was undergoing significant transformation, creating opportunities for Nigerian businesses to participate more actively in the growing global Hajj economy.

He disclosed that the allocation for Nigerian private Hajj operators could rise from the current 9,000 to 10,000 pilgrims to about 25,000, following recent policy changes introduced by the Saudi Arabian authorities.

According to him, the global Hajj economy is estimated at about 150 billion dollars, while Nigeria’s contribution stands at nearly 300 million dollars, stressing the need for the country to maximise the sector’s potential through investment, job creation and improved service delivery.

Ambassador Ismail assured that NAHCON would continue to strengthen its compliance and monitoring mechanisms to protect pilgrims and ensure service providers deliver value for money.

Earlier, the National Coordinator of Independent Hajj Reporters, Alhaji Ibrahim Muhammad, described Hajj as both a major religious obligation and a vast global economic ecosystem with opportunities spanning aviation, hospitality, healthcare, technology, financial services, agriculture, retail and logistics.

Alhaji Ibrahim also called for continuous improvement in Hajj administration at both state and national levels, particularly in professionalism, capacity building, technology, documentation and service delivery.

He explained that the awards were based on assessments conducted by Independent Hajj Reporters and its monitoring team, covering government Hajj agencies, state pilgrims’ welfare boards, commissioners and private Hajj operators.

The recipient of the award, Imam Ibrahim Idris underscores the growing importance of professionalism, accountability and quality service in Hajj administration.

According to him, the award has placed Bauchi State among stakeholders demonstrating that effective leadership and commitment to pilgrims’ welfare can translate into measurable improvements in Hajj operations and service delivery.

The event, themed “Exploring Business Opportunities in Hajj and Umrah Ecosystem,” brought together key stakeholders in the Hajj sector, including government officials, pilgrims’ welfare agencies, private Hajj operators, media practitioners and other industry players.