Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has announced plans for Gateway Air, the state-owned airline, to airlift Ogun pilgrims directly to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, with the state also exploring opportunities to transport intending pilgrims from other South-West states.
Abiodun said Ogun State would take advantage of the emerging private-sector-driven Hajj airlift arrangement, particularly by extending the services of Gateway Air to pilgrims from Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states.
The Governor disclosed this on Friday when he received a delegation from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), led by its Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofiu Elegushi, at his office.
Abiodun said the state government had taken note of the new regulations governing private-sector participation in Hajj operations and commended NAHCON for its support in facilitating the successful and safe airlift of Ogun pilgrims from the Gateway International Airport to Saudi Arabia during the last Hajj exercise.
He said Ogun had consistently expressed its intention to charter an aircraft under the Gateway Air brand to transport its pilgrims directly from the state-owned airport.
“We had always expressed interest that, based on what we saw last time, we would like to charter our own aircraft. We would like to brand it Gateway Air, and we would like to airlift our pilgrims ourselves because we believe that we can do it efficiently,” Abiodun said.
According to the Governor, the initiative is part of the state’s broader effort to ensure that residents directly benefit from the infrastructure and services being developed by the government.
“The same level of efficiency that we demonstrated in building a world-class airport and also in establishing a world-class airline, Gateway Air, shows that we know how to do things and organise ourselves in Ogun State,” he said.
Abiodun said the state’s collaboration with NAHCON during the previous Hajj was instrumental to the successful operation, adding that Ogun’s investment in the Gateway International Airport had created an opportunity for pilgrims to begin their journey to Saudi Arabia from within the state.
“For us, it was about facilitating our pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia conveniently. We have invested in a world-class airport, and we thought there was no better way for our citizens to begin to enjoy that airport than for our pilgrims to board their flights from that airport,” he said.
The Governor also welcomed a proposal by NAHCON for South-West states to establish a single body, similar to the Oodua Investment structure, to coordinate Hajj operations and represent participating states as a private operator.
He said he would present the proposal to other members of the Oodua Investment Group for consideration.
Speaking on religious harmony, Abiodun said Ogun had remained peaceful and had not experienced any religious crisis under his administration, attributing the stability to the cordial relationship among residents irrespective of religious affiliation.
Earlier, Elegushi disclosed that NAHCON had commenced registration for the forthcoming Hajj, with the deadline expected to be extended to allow more intending pilgrims to register.
He explained that the early registration was necessary because Saudi Arabian authorities require accurate figures of intending pilgrims in advance to facilitate adequate planning for accommodation, transportation and other services.
According to Elegushi, Nigeria’s Hajj quota, traditionally around 95,000 pilgrims, has gradually fallen to about 50,000, with 10,000 slots allocated to tour operators and the remaining 40,000 shared among the states.
He attributed the changing structure to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which seeks greater private-sector participation and digitalisation of Hajj and Umrah operations.
Elegushi said Saudi authorities had initially indicated that 98 per cent of the Hajj quota would eventually be allocated to private operators, leaving two per cent for government operations. He therefore urged states to begin preparing to participate as private operators capable of competing within the emerging system.
However, he identified the requirement for independent operators to have a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims as a major challenge for individual states.
He noted that even Lagos State currently does not have the required number, making it difficult for individual South-West states to independently meet the Saudi requirement.
This, he said, informed NAHCON’s proposal for a single South-West company that could pool pilgrims from participating states and operate under a structure similar to Oodua Investment.
Elegushi congratulated the Ogun State Government on its landmark achievement in ensuring that the first batch of Ogun pilgrims travelled directly from the Gateway International Airport to Saudi Arabia during the last Hajj, describing the feat as significant for both Ogun State and the South-West.
He also urged Abiodun to ensure that Ogun succeeds in deploying Gateway Air for the forthcoming Hajj, just as the state successfully used its airport for the previous exercise.
Elegushi disclosed that payment for the forthcoming Hajj was ongoing, with all payments expected to be completed by December 2, 2026, while the uploading of pilgrims’ data would close ahead of the commencement of the airlift, expected around late April or early May.
He further disclosed that Saudi Arabian authorities had introduced about nine new health-related policies, including mandatory screening of intending pilgrims for specified diseases before they are cleared for the pilgrimage.
The NAHCON commissioner commended Ogun for complying with health protocols during the last Hajj and urged the state to sustain its support and ensure full compliance among its pilgrims during the forthcoming exercise.