Historic visit: Saudi minister shuns NAHCON after Pakistan spends millions, declares holiday for staff

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The Saudi Arabian Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabbiah, has shunned the headquarters of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) during his recent visit to Nigeria.
This is following reports that the Hajj commission has allegedly spent about N20 million — far above the chairman’s approving threshold — to decorate the Hajj House (NAHCON headquarters) and forced all staff to stay away from the office ahead of the minister’s visit.
The Saudi minister arrived in Nigeria on Tuesday afternoon, 7 February, 2026, and was received at the airport by protocol officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some NAHCON board members.
After his arrival, the Saudi minister went straight to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters at the Central Business District, Abuja. The left Nigeria the next day (Thursday) and headed to Egypt.

This newspaper observed that as at the early hours of Friday, 6 February 2036, there was no single mention of the Saudi minister’s visit to Nigeria on the kingdom Hajj ministry’s website, verified social media handles, or even its local media. The minister had earlier visited Hajj countries that include Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, among others.

— Saudi minister’s long-awaited visit —

On February 1, the Hajj commission announced in a statement signed by the Technical Assistant (Media) to the chairman, Ahmed Mu’azu, that the NAHCON Chairman/CEO, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, has shelved an important trip to Saudi Arabia for the conclusion of pilgrims’ accommodation contracts, to stay back and receive the Saudi minister.
“The Chairman/CEO will remain in Nigeria to receive the Honourable Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, who is expected to visit Nigeria this month while coordinating the delegation’s activities,” the statement said.
At least five people at the Hajj commission who spoke to this newspaper have faulted this move by Mr Pakistan, saying his involvement in the reception and hosting of the visiting minister was guided by outright lack of proper understanding of official protocol. “It is puzzling that Mr Pakistan was even announcing that he would receive the Saudi minister, who is not his guest in the first place. The Saudi minister is a guest of the federal government, and the Nigerian foreign minister is his host. This is Diplomacy 101. I think Professor Pakistan should know this,” one of the staff members who preferred anonymity because he has no authorisation to speak told this newspaper.
Another official in the commission said Mr Pakistan went ahead planning to receive the visiting minister allegedly without consultation with the foreign ministry, the Vice President’s Office, or even the Saudi embassy in Abuja. “It was scandalous when NAHCON protocol officials started going helter-skelter at the last hour, begging the foreign affairs officers to include Mr Pakistan into their programme after they were told point-blank that they should back out,” another NAHCON official privy to what transpired said.
“It was after intense pleading that Mr Pakistan and some NAHCON board members were finally allowed to join the foreign ministry’s protocol officials at the airport to receive the minister, and later to attend the event at the ministry,” another staff member lamented.
A top Hajj commission official said this breach was again reflected in the press statement released by NAHCON, which gave prominence to the NAHCON chairman at the detriment of the foreign minister and the Saudi visitor. “If you read the NAHCON press statement after the event, it clearly presented Mr Pakistan as the host, while in reality, he wasn’t. This is a clear breach of official protocol,” the Hajj commission official said.
Mr Pakistan, who has been facing corruption allegations and a vote of no-confidence by the NAHCON Board reecntly has been planning to leverage on the Saudi minister’s visit to burnish his embattled public image, another staff member in NAHCON told this newspaper.
 
–    N17 million’s decoration and food – 

“It was a great opportunity for Professor Pakistan to make some public relations stunts during the Saudi minister’s visit. This is important if you look at the controversies surrounding him, left, right and centre- the EFCC investigations, the ever-evolving stories of alleged corruption, the vote of no-confidence and the call for his removal by 11 members of the NAHCON board. It is not surprising that he saw the visit as a rare opportunity to burnish his battered public image,” a top official who declined to be named for fear of victimization, said.
To achieve this, this newspaper reliably gathered from insiders, Mr Pakistan allegedly voted N17 million to hire event planners to decorate the Hajj House meeting hall, and the office premises (with his life-size image) in an Arabian style, spread red carpets, as well as hired a caterer to serve Middle Eastern cuisine buffet at the event.

However, Insiders said deploying such funds without following tenders process is against the financial regulations of public service. 
Mr Pakistan also invited some state pilgrims’ boards’ CEOs, Hajj airlines executives, and the leadership of private tour operators, among others, to join him in welcoming the august visitor.

— Tinubu, Shettima, Tuggar missing in NAHCON’s welcoming banner —

Our reporters observed that the Hajj commission had displayed a large size banner and red carpets welcoming the Saudi minister at the Hajj House. Curiously, the banner only contained the Saudi minister’s picture and that of Mr Pakistan. The pictures of President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, whose office supervises NAHCON, or that of the foreign Minister Tuggar, were visibly missing.

A retired protocol officer who served for many years at the Presidential Villa and foreign ministry told one of our reporters that, “Mr Pakistan’s action is an insult to Nigeria and the Presidency. The Hajj commission behaved as if there are no protocol officers there.”

Describing the act as disrespectful and breach of extant protocol codes, the veteran officer said the NAHCON chairman’s red carpet display for the visiting minister was unnecessary waste of public funds.

“Look at what the Foreign Affairs Ministry did during the courtesy call by the visiting Saudi minister. He was received at the Conference Hall of the ministry without any fanfare or extravagance. That is the standard protocol,” he said.

He added that “even in Saudi Arabia, the protocol is the same with what the Nigerian foreign ministry did. The highest they there do is to bring the visiting country’s flag to the table where the visitor is being hosted. There is no fanfare at all. I am sure the protocol people attached to the minister must have laughed at us.”

— Forced staff to stay at home —
 
To ensure a seamless reception, Mr Pakistan also declared a public holiday in the Hajj commission for Tuesday, barring all staff from coming to work because of the event.
In an internal circular sent to all staff and cited by this newspaper titled, “Subject: Stay-at-Home advisory for staff due to environmental constraints,” the NAHCON management directed all staff to stay away from work on Tuesday. 
The circular, dated February 2, 2026, reads, “This is to inform all members of staff that due to the unavailability of parking space tomorrow, arising from the official programme to welcome the Honourable Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Management has approved a temporary stay-at-home arrangement for staff.
“Accordingly, all staff are advised to stay at home tomorrow except those in the following offices and cadre, who are required to report for duty: Chairman’s Office, All Commissioners’ Offices, Registry, Media, Accounts, and Directorate Cadre.
“Staff from the listed offices and cadre who are reporting for duty are advised to make use of the Hajj Institute Parking Lot only, as parking on the road or roadside is strictly not allowed. No alternative parking arrangements are permitted.
“Affected staff are kindly requested to comply with this directive and make necessary arrangements. Thank you for your usual cooperation.”
The Hajj commission chief also deployed security personnel who restricted motorists from parking along the busy Zakariya Maimalari Street, Central Business District, throughout the day, all for the Saudi visitor.
 
— Guests grumble —
 
One of the airline’s executives invited to the botched event, told this newspaper that he came all the way from Kano at a short notice to attend the event slated for 12 pm. He said they were all seated in the well-decorated hall, which was continuously perfumed with smoky resinous Oud incense burners.
He said the NAHCON officials said, “The visitor will arrive at the Hajj House by 2 pm, and they later said 4 pm, but the Saudi visitor never did. After 5 pm, we were told the NAHCON chairman was coming to address us, but he never did. I was later told that Mr Pakistan had returned to the commission and angrily headed straight to his office.”
After a moment of culinary indulgence by the guests, “we all dispersed without anyone telling us why the august Saudi visitor didn’t come as expected,” the airline executive said.
A day after the botched event, Wednesday, 4 February 2026, one of our reporters who visited the commission by afternoon, observed the event planners evacuating their decoration materials from the Hajj House.
 
—How NAHCON reception collapsed —
 
This newspaper obtained a copy of the 9-point agenda of the meeting at the foreign ministry, titled, “Agenda of meeting between Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, OON, Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria and H.E. Dr Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabia, Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah, scheduled for 3rd February, 2026.”
After Dr Rabbiah arrived at the ministry, the visitor had a closed-door meeting with Ambassador Tuggar. It was not clear what was discussed between the two ministers behind closed doors. Still, insiders are suggesting that the discussion was reportedly centred on the Hajj operation challenges Nigeria is facing since the assumption of Mr Pakistan, which led the Saudi Hajj and Umrah ministry to form a special team to monitor Nigerian Hajj operations last year. They also reportedly discussed the evolution of Hajj and Umrah in the context of the kingdom’s VIsion 2030.
Later in his opening remarks, Mr Tuggar noted that cooperation in Hajj and Umrah administration remains one of the strongest pillars of Nigeria–Saudi relations, rooted in faith, mutual respect, and centuries-old people-to-people ties, according to a statement released by NAHCON on Tuesday night.
In his address, the Saudi minister reaffirmed the kingdom’s strong commitment to institutional cooperation with Nigeria. “The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah places great importance on strengthening cooperation with our brothers in Nigeria to ensure a smooth and safe experience for Nigerian pilgrims,” he said.
Mr Pakistan made his remark, which was followed by a closing remark by Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, Permanent Secretary of the foreign ministry.
After the speeches by Messrs Tuggar, Al-Rabiah, Pakistan, and Dunoma, the Saudi visitor left the ministry and headed to the Saudi embassy in Abuja.
This newspaper observed that other items in the agenda that include ASFAAR Spotlight on Hajj and Umrah, meeting with Hajj and Umrah stakeholders at the NAHCON headquarters, which was the last on the list, were left unattended.
Hosting the visiting minister would have been a great opportunity for Mr Pakistan, who, after dozens of trips to the kingdom, was unable to meet the minister, unlike his predecessors, largely due to his reported administrative and leadership inadequacies.
 
— Nigeria’s rating in Saudi Arabia plummets —
 
This newspaper earlier reported how Nigeria’s rating plummeted under Mr Pakistan over some of the afore-mentioned challenges.
During the first, second, and third boards of the Hajj commission, Nigeria received the best ratings and was always treated with a royal protocol during the MOU signing—principally because of the multi-faceted reforms introduced and implemented by the then NAHCON leadership, and the respect and confidence the Saudis had in them.
With the coming of Barr. Zikirullah Kunle Hasan, those achievements recorded by his predecessors began to crumble, insiders said, but only to get worse under Mr Pakistan, an Arabic language teacher with zero experience in administration and logistics.
Aside from the steep decline in Nigeria’s rating this year, another negative trend it infamously recorded was the reduction of the country’s 2026 Hajj quota to 40,000 from the original 95,000, thereby removing Nigeria from its longstanding position as the fifth-largest Hajj country globally for the first time.
 
— Pakistan’s protocol breach —
 
Another NAHCON official who was at the meeting lamented that the Hajj commission chairman had violated official protocol during the short event at the foreign ministry.
He said that while Ambassador Tuggar and the visiting Saudi minister all spoke in English which is Nigeria’s national language, Mr Pakistan, to the chagrin of all present, spoke in Arabic, a development the top official described as a protocol breach.
Mr Pakistan’s action drew a backlash even from some journalists who covered the event when they asked for the transcript of the speech, and there was none. Mr Pakistan’s breach of protocol also drew the angst of some officials at the foreign ministry, some insiders said without giving further details.
This development deepens concern among the Hajj industry players who have been saying that Mr Pakistan has poor communication skills in English language, forcing him to rely on interpreters to treat official correspondence which is English as par Nigerian national language.
 
— Diplomat, top bureaucrat reactions —
 
A former diplomat who spoke to this newspaper said what Mr Pakistan did was an embarrassment to Nigeria. “It was a diplomatic faux pas for him to organise a parallel program for a visitor who doesn’t belong to him. The foreign ministry saved the day by sticking to the established protocol,” he said.
The former foreign affairs ministry bureaucrat said Mr Pakistan’s speech in an informal Arabic is “another avoidable embarrassment by the NAHCON chairman at the event, knowing fully well that Nigeria’s official language is English. He embarrassed our country.”
A former director in the federal civil service said the declaration of a public holiday by Mr Pakistan in NAHCON is an apparent usurpation of powers that doesn’t fall within his purview, describing it as illegal and reprehensible.
“NAHCON, as a federal government agency, can’t arbitrarily declare a public holiday without the permission of the Head of Service of the Federation, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, or its supervisory head, which is the Office of the Vice President,” he said.
The veteran bureaucrat said forcing workers to stay away from work is a crude circumvention of Public Service Rules that shouldn’t go unpunished.
 
— Foreign ministry speaks —

In his response, the spokesperson to the foreign minister, Alkassim Abdulkadir, told this newspaper that he was not aware of any arrangement for the visiting minister to attend another event at the NAHCON headquarters.
He explained that the Hajj commission is simply an agency of the government, and that the visiting minister would engage with his counterpart, who is the foreign minister.
“The Saudi visitor is an honourable minister. Therefore, protocol-wise, the visiting minister must engage with his opposite counterpart. That is why he paid a courtesy call to the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar,” the spokesperson said. 
Mr Abdulkadir, however, added that the Hajj commission chairman was present at the event held at the foreign ministry.