Preparations for the 2025 Hajj are underway in Nigeria, with Kaduna and Jigawa states taking significant steps to ensure the health and safety of their pilgrims. The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Agency has announced that all registered intending pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj will undergo mandatory medical screening this week. This screening includes pregnancy tests for female pilgrims to assess their health status and provide appropriate medical support, especially for those with diabetes and hypertension.

Yunusa Abdullahi, the agency’s spokesperson, emphasized that these tests are compulsory, and any pilgrim who refuses to undergo them risks forfeiting their Hajj seat. Pilgrims are advised to collect their medical cards from their registration officers before visiting government-approved hospitals for the screening, as only tests conducted in these facilities will be accepted. Additionally, pilgrims will receive two meals daily in Saudi Arabia.

The agency's policy aligns with NAHCON’s policy banning pregnant women from performing Hajj, which is often bypassed. In previous Hajj exercises, numerous Nigerian pilgrims were found pregnant in the Holy Land, leading to health risks. In 2023, 75 cases of pregnant women traveling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj were recorded, resulting in medical complications due to stress and heat waves. In 2024, a Borno State pilgrim gave birth in Saudi Arabia, and four others were found to be pregnant during the exercise.

Meanwhile, the Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board has initiated a vaccination exercise for intending pilgrims in the Hadejia zone. The flag-off ceremony, led by Director General Ahmed Umar Labbo, took place at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Hadejia. Mr. Labbo reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to prioritizing the health and safety of Jigawa pilgrims, emphasizing that safeguarding their health is both a requirement and a responsibility of the board.

Mr. Labbo urged all pilgrims to cooperate fully, adhere to health guidelines, and attend scheduled enlightenment lectures for essential knowledge on the rites of Hajj and practical guidance. He personally monitored the vaccination exercise and administered the first dose to an intending pilgrim from Hadejia, ensuring it would continue until the pilgrims depart for the Holy Land.

Dr. Bala Ismaila, the officer in charge of the primary healthcare center, highlighted the importance of administering mandatory vaccines, including the meningitis vaccine, oral polio vaccine, and yellow fever vaccine, as required by Saudi Arabia's health regulations. The yellow fever vaccine is valid for ten years, while the meningitis vaccine lasts three years, both essential for protecting individual and public health. Pilgrims were advised to seek immediate medical attention if they experience severe or prolonged side effects. The vaccination exercise is being conducted across all 27 local government areas in Jigawa State.