Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State has given 1,000 Saudi Riyals (₦450,000) each to the 3,200 pilgrims from Sokoto who are in Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj.

The total donation is about ₦1.4 billion.

Aliyu made the announcement on Saturday while speaking to the pilgrims in Mina.

Aliyu congratulated them for completing the Hajj rites and said the money would help them prepare for their journey back to Nigeria.

“This is a token of support and appreciation for your discipline, dedication, and the peaceful image you’ve projected of Sokoto state,” Aliyu said.

He praised the pilgrims for following the rules in Saudi Arabia and said their discipline and the hard work of Hajj officials helped make the pilgrimage smooth and peaceful.

He also thanked the leader of the Sokoto Hajj team, Ummarun Kwabo, and the Sokoto Pilgrims Welfare Agency for doing a good job.

One of the pilgrims, Almustapha Ahmed, told PREMIUM TIMES by phone that the money would be very helpful, saying, “That will go a long way to cushion some of our financial needs before and after we return home. I do not have the money yet, but we are all happy.”