The reported decision by the Kebbi State Government to take a ₦10 billion loan to secure an additional 1,300 Hajj slots for the 2026 pilgrimage has sparked widespread public debate over priorities in one of Nigeria’s most socio-economically challenged states.
According to media reports, the loan was allegedly approved to meet tight foreign payment deadlines tied to airfare, accommodation and logistics required to retain extra Hajj quotas allocated through Nigeria’s pilgrimage framework. Government sources are said to have indicated that the funds would eventually be recovered from intending pilgrims, describing the move as a temporary financing arrangement.
However, the development has drawn scrutiny given Kebbi State’s development indicators. Available data from national and international development agencies indicate that more than 70 per cent of the state’s population lives in multidimensional poverty, with limited access to basic services. Illiteracy rates are reported to exceed 60 per cent, while Kebbi remains among the northern states with a large population of out-of-school children, estimated in the hundreds of thousands, according to education sector assessments.
Within this context, commentators argue that ₦10bn could reportedly be deployed to address pressing needs. Analysts estimate the funds could rehabilitate numerous primary healthcare centres, construct and equip hundreds of classrooms, support mass teacher recruitment, expand irrigation schemes for farmers, provide potable water to underserved communities, or fund vocational training programmes for unemployed youths.
The issue has also been examined from a religious standpoint. Islamic scholars note that Hajj is obligatory only for Muslims who can afford it without financial hardship. The religious injunction expressly exempts those who lack the means, reinforcing arguments that pilgrimage should not compel individuals or governments into debt.
While state authorities may reportedly maintain that the loan will not burden public finances in the long run, observers caution that borrowing for pilgrimage activities, even if recoverable, raises broader questions about fiscal responsibility, social equity and the appropriate use of public resources.
As Kebbi State continues to grapple with poverty, illiteracy, weak healthcare systems and education deficits, the decision has renewed calls for public spending choices that prioritise long-term human development over short-term obligations, even those rooted in faith.