Niger revives support for Christian pilgrimage after 10-year suspension

The Niger State Government has begun preparing for the 2026 Christian pilgrimage, more than a decade after it suspended government sponsorship of pilgrimages because of economic challenges.

The preparations were disclosed in a report by Northern News published on Friday, which said the Niger State Pilgrims’ Welfare Board had begun coordinating arrangements for the exercise under Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.

The board held a strategic meeting involving its members and staff of the Christian Department at its headquarters in Minna to coordinate preparations and improve pilgrims’ welfare.

The meeting was convened by the board’s Executive Secretary, Muhammad Aliyu, who was represented by the Director of Administration, Ado Bello.

Mr Bello said the engagement was intended to strengthen collaboration between board members and staff in organising the pilgrimage in line with the state government’s New Niger Agenda.

He said the Christian and Muslim departments shared responsibility for serving pilgrims, emphasising early planning, accountability, and coordination ahead of the 2026 exercise.

The Christian Department’s Director of Administration, Paul Lawrence, said preparations would include mobilising intending pilgrims across the state’s 25 local government areas and conducting screening in collaboration with relevant agencies.

He said the department also planned to provide orientation and spiritual programmes, improve accommodation and feeding arrangements, and strengthen engagement with the Christian Association of Nigeria and church leaders.

Mr Lawrence said the department would work with the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission to ensure compliance with national guidelines, timely processing of travel documents and coordinated airlifting arrangements.

He added that security agencies and medical screening teams would vet intending pilgrims and ensure they met the required health standards.

“Measures to prevent abscondment and promote discipline throughout the exercise have been put in place,” he said, while appealing to the board’s management to sustain operational and financial support.

The head of the Christian board members, Deborah Salawu, welcomed the preparations and pledged the members’ support for the exercise.

On 17 May 2016, the administration of former Governor Abubakar Sani Bello suspended state sponsorship of both Muslim and Christian pilgrims travelling to Mecca and Jerusalem, citing Nigeria’s economic challenges and the state’s dwindling revenue.

In a statement issued in Minna by his then Chief Press Secretary, Jibrin Ndace, Mr Bello said the government had put the sponsorship of pilgrims to the holy sites on hold with immediate effect.

“Government is committed to supporting our people in fulfilling their religious obligations, but the dwindling economic fortunes of the state, in the face of other equally people-oriented demands, sponsorship of pilgrims to Hajj and Jerusalem is hereby suspended,” the statement said.

The former governor, however, said the state would continue to sponsor officials whose participation was necessary to facilitate pilgrimage arrangements.

The suspension of government sponsorship did not stop individual Muslims from performing Hajj.

Muslim residents continued to register through the Niger State Pilgrims’ Welfare Board and travel to Saudi Arabia using personal funds.

The Bago administration later resumed direct funding for selected Muslim pilgrims. For the 2025 Hajj, the state government reportedly spent ₦3.02 billion to cover the fares and related costs of 357 sponsored pilgrims.

The preparations for the 2026 Christian pilgrimage therefore represent a renewed effort to support Christian pilgrims, following the earlier suspension that affected both religious groups.

However, the report did not state how many Christians the government intends to sponsor in 2026, the budget for the exercise, or whether the state will cover all pilgrimage expenses.