The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved cash transactions for 2,025 Nigerians preparing for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. This decision comes after Vice-President Kashim Shettima intervened on behalf of over 40,000 intending pilgrims, appealing to President Bola Tinubu through the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Aliu Abdulrazaq, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, shared the update after a meeting with the vice president at the State House in Abuja. He explained that the Federal Government had earlier planned to issue debit cards for pilgrims’ Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), but the CBN dropped the idea following Shettima’s request.
“Thanks to the CBN’s understanding and the vice president’s appeal, the bank agreed to allow cash instead of ATM cards for pilgrims,” Abdulrazaq said. “In Saudi Arabia, there’s only one ATM in the main area where rituals are held, and it’s always overcrowded. This creates major problems for pilgrims.”
He added that most Nigerian pilgrims are rural farmers unfamiliar with electronic payments, making cash a more practical option. “This change gives us confidence that Hajj operations this year will run smoothly,” he said.
NAHCON Secretary, Dr. Mustapha Muhammad Ali, clarified that this decision is not a government subsidy or concession, but simply a shift in payment method. “Most pilgrims shop in the streets of Mecca or Medina, where debit cards are not commonly used. The CBN will now provide the cash at the market rate,” he said.
Abba Muhammad Aliyu, CBN’s Director of Human Resources and its representative on NAHCON’s board, emphasized that the decision was made with the pilgrims’ welfare in mind. “Many don’t know how to use ATMs, so this move will make life easier for them,” he explained.
Earlier in the year, the CBN had introduced a policy requiring all pilgrims to use debit cards for their BTA, tied to newly opened bank accounts. However, concerns arose that the policy could disrupt Hajj planning and make transactions difficult for many pilgrims.
With this latest decision, Nigerian pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia in 2025 can now carry cash, ensuring smoother and more accessible pilgrimage preparations.