The Kebbi State Government’s approval of a N10 billion loan to support the 2026 Hajj has stirred widespread criticism, with many Nigerians questioning the state’s commitment to tackling its deepening education and development challenges.
Despite severe learning deficits among children in the state, Governor Nasir Idris’ administration moved to obtain extra Hajj slots for residents—a decision that has provoked sharp reactions from social analysts and civil society voices.
Social commentator Sodiq Alabi noted that 95% of children aged 7–14 in Kebbi cannot read at Primary 2–3 level, while 94% cannot perform basic maths at the same level. Citing the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), he added that 89.4% of adult women are illiterate, with another 6.4% able to read only part of a sentence.
“But at least the governor is providing loans for Hajj,” Alabi said pointedly, criticizing what he described as the state’s misplaced priorities.
Political analyst Mahdi Shehu also condemned the approval, calling it a “misplaced priority” in a state battling extreme poverty and crumbling infrastructure. In a post on X, he wrote:
“They use religious sentiment to deceive vulnerable people. Those who can barely afford food are being handed loans for pilgrimage.
In a state where poverty is 75%, over two million children are out of school, hospitals and schools are dilapidated, roads are in terrible condition, clean water is scarce, gratuities remain unpaid, youth unemployment is high, children sit on bare floors to learn, essential drugs are lacking, and primary health centres have collapsed—this is madness and ignorance.”
DAILY POST reports that the backlash reflects Kebbi’s troubling education indicators, with many residents lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Critics argue that with schools, healthcare systems, and key infrastructure underfunded, allocating billions to Hajj financing raises serious questions about the state’s governance priorities.
The Kebbi State Government, however, defended the loan, saying it was necessary to secure 1,300 extra Hajj slots before the December 5 NAHCON deadline.
According to Alhaji Faruku Aliyu-Yaro, Chairman of the State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, the loan represents a “decisive, compassionate, and people-focused intervention” by Governor Idris. He explained that without it, the state would have forfeited hundreds of Hajj seats.
While officials frame the decision as a religious and humanitarian necessity, critics maintain that it underscores the urgent need for Kebbi to prioritize education, poverty alleviation, and basic infrastructure over pilgrimage subsidies.
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