AbdulRazaq Urges Kwara’s Intending Pilgrims to Be Good Ambassadors of Nigeria in Saudi Arabia
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State yesterday urged intending pilgrims to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajji to conduct themselves well in the holy land and represent the state and Nigeria honourably during their pilgrimage. AbdulRazaq stated this in Ilorin while flagging off the 2026 Hajj exercise, with the successful airlift of the first batch of 374 pilgrims with two NAHCON officials and one state official to Saudi Arabia.
A total of 1,714 pilgrims from the state will participate in the 2026 exercise.
The pilgrims departed the General Tunde Idi-Agbon International Airport, Ilorin, aboard a Max Airline, which took off about 3pm en route to Madinah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Represented at the event by the governor’s special adviser and senior counsellor, Alhaji Saadu Salaudeen, AbdulRazaq urged the intending pilgrims from the state to pray for the peace of the country and the state, in particular.
He said, “Our message to pilgrims from Kwara State this year centres on the need for them to behave as good representatives and ambassadors of Kwara State, in particular, and Nigeria, in general, and to make sure they comply with all the laws and regulations of the host country, the Saudi Arabia.”
The governor stated, “We advise all of them to make sure they listen to the directives of Amirul Hajj our father, His Royal Highness the Etsu Tsaragi, who is the Amirul Hajj for this year, leading the delegation and all the officials of the Kwara State Pilgrims Board.”
AbdulRazaq prayed Allaah to grant all the pilgrims a hitch-free Hajj performance and looked forward to their safe return.
The State Amirul Hajj and Etsu Tsaragi, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu, promised to look into the well-being of the pilgrims in line with the commitment made with the state government.
He said, “I want to reiterate that when His Excellency announced my appointment as the leader of the delegation from the state, being Amirul Hajj, I made a pledge before him that we are not going to let him down and inshallah we are going to perform the role that we are assigned to perform.
“We will make sure that Kwara pilgrims have the best this year and inshallah we are going to take care of their well-being over there.”
Speaking with newsmen, Executive Secretary of the board, Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, applauded AbdulRazaq for approving all the requests of the board to ensure adequate care of the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
Abdulsalam stated, “They will be going to Madinah straight away. We have our officials going with them, not only officials, we have medical doctors and nurses going with them, to be well taken care of.
“We have contacted our kitchen. They are still there waiting for them to be welcomed and be well fed, inshallah.
“As you can see from the plane, too, we are even going with our local food. I’m sure you saw from the cabin there, we are loading yam flour, Pando Yam, and gari, to be sure that at least they will not lose the taste of home food.”