President Bola Tinubu has been credited with transforming Lagos State's Hajj operations during his tenure as governor, according to Dr Abdullahi Jebe, Special Adviser on Religion (Islam) to the Lagos State Governor. Jebe made the remarks in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Makkah, where he praised Tinubu for overhauling the pilgrimage process starting in 1999. Before Tinubu's intervention, Lagos pilgrims were handled by private agents, but he redirected the system to operate through local government councils. He also introduced religious scholars, known as ulamas, to provide spiritual guidance to pilgrims during the Hajj. Tinubu initiated the provision of rams for all Lagos pilgrims and ensured adequate food supply on the day of Arafat, practices that have continued under his successors. Jebe noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has maintained and expanded these improvements, including upgrading the state's pilgrim tent from category D to B plus in Makkah for better comfort. Sanwo-Olu has also enhanced the package by adding supplementary support to make the pilgrimage more convenient, according to Jebe. The adviser commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for maintaining a strong and cooperative relationship with state-level pilgrim boards. He described NAHCON as the central authority for Hajj operations in Nigeria, stating that all states must operate under its framework. States are not independently recognised in the Hajj process, and compliance with NAHCON directives remains mandatory. Jebe affirmed that Lagos State fully adheres to all instructions from the national body.
Tinubu's current role as president contrasts with his past authority as Lagos governor, where he single-handedly reshaped Hajj logistics by ending reliance on private agents and instituting local council oversight. While Sanwo-Olu now upgrades tents and adds comfort, the foundational shift—centralising control under government structures—originated with Tinubu's 1999 directive. The praise for both leaders hinges on administrative decisions, not spiritual outcomes, underscoring how political legacies are reinforced through pilgrimage management. NAHCON's position as the sole recognised body means state initiatives, however improved, still depend on federal coordination.
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