– 6,900 Ghanaian pilgrims airlifted for 2026 Hajj-
Nat’l Tymes News Desk
PRESIDENT John Dramani Mahama’s return to office has been marked by a reduction in Ghana’s Hajj fare and efforts to strengthen the facilities and systems used to organise the annual pilgrimage, according to the Pilgrims Affairs Office of Ghana (PAOG).
The Director of Communication at PAOG, Mohammed Amin Lamptey Hussein, disclosed this in a review of Ghana’s recent Hajj operations.
He said the Hajj fare, which stood at GH¢75,000 in 2024, was reduced to GH¢62,000 in 2025 and further to GH¢60,000 in 2026.
The GH¢60,000 fare has also been maintained for the 2027 Hajj.
Mr. Lamptey said the government had also constituted a new Hajj Governing Board for PAOG, chaired by Alhaji Abdul-Rauf Tanko Ibrahim, with a focus on improving transparency, digitisation and the management of pilgrim payments.
He said the system also involved working with Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) to strengthen payment arrangements and help prevent fraud and unauthorised partial payments.
Another major development, he said, was the construction of a permanent Hajj Village in Accra.
According to Mr. Lamptey, the project was initiated by President Mahama during his tenure as Vice President under the late President Prof. Atta Mills and is now being constructed with Internally Generated Funds (IGF) of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL).
The facility is expected to serve as a specialised pre-departure terminal for Ghanaian pilgrims.
Mr. Lamptey said approximately 6,900 Ghanaian pilgrims were successfully airlifted for the 2026 Hajj, filling Ghana’s allocated quota.
He said arrangements covering visas, medical services, accommodation and transportation received favourable assessments, while direct flights from Tamale International Airport helped reduce the burden on pilgrims from the northern part of the country.
He also said President Mahama and the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, commended PAOG and its leadership under Alhaji Tanko for the organisation of the 2026 pilgrimage.
Mr. Lamptey noted that five Ghanaian pilgrims died during the 2026 Hajj, describing the figure as the lowest recorded in Ghana’s Hajj operations, according to his review.
He said the majority of Ghanaian Muslims who undertake the pilgrimage finance their own Hajj and called for continued public discussion on the development of Hajj infrastructure, including the Permanent Hajj Village.
He said such discussions should also take into account Ghana’s long-standing tradition of peaceful Christian-Muslim relations.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
