There are growing concerns over Nigerian pilgrims’ breach of medical screening protocols for Hajj following the delivery of a baby by a female pilgrim from Zamfara State in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.
This is despite the standing health regulations in Saudi Arabia that prohibit pregnant women from participating in the pilgrimage.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), have repeatedly issued health advisories banning pregnant women from participating in Hajj due to the physical demands and potential medical complications.
Yet, year after year, cases of pregnant Nigerian pilgrims continue to surface.
The 2025 health requirements and recommendations for travelers, issued by the Saudi Ministry of Health, explicitly prohibit individuals who are in the last two months of pregnancy or those with high-risk pregnancies at any stage from participating in the Hajj exercise. This directive the kingdom said this is to ensure the safety of pilgrims and reduce the risk of medical emergencies during the physically demanding pilgrimage.
Other guidelines include that individuals with major ailments including those with kidney, heart, lung, liver, cancer, dementia, or infectious diseases like tuberculosis and whooping cough will not be allowed to participate in the pilgrimage.
In Nigeria, State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and travel agencies are tasked with the mandate of screening intending pilgrims and provide medical guidelines as appropriate according to the guidelines on medical services for hajj operation released by NAHCON.
The medical screening usually includes compulsory pregnancy tests for female pilgrims to ascertain their health status ahead of the spiritual journey.
The Guardian gathered that the process has been largely ineffective as some State Pilgrims Welfare Boards reportedly fail to conduct the mandatory medical screenings altogether. In other cases, officials are said to deliberately overlook test results and allow pregnant women to proceed with the pilgrimage in violation of both national and Saudi health regulations.
Some Nigerians who reacted to the development questioned how the pregnant lady was able to bypass checks.
Reacting on Facebook, Aminu Abdullahi said: “When it comes to Nigeria anything is possible, a whole pregnant woman. How did she intend to perform hajj with a nine month pregnancy”?
“How did she beat the protocols including medical tests to arrive at Madinah with pregnancy?”, another user, Hassan Ubali queried
Mahmud Sabonwuse said -If with all the pregnancy test and check before departure, a nine month pregnant woman still scaled through to Saudi Arabia to give birth, then is either those doing the test are not professional, or either there a serious collaboration and this is seriously undermining the Nigerian process in doing things properly”. But the incident is not an isolated one.
During the 2023 Hajj, NAHCON recorded at least nine pregnant Nigerian pilgrims, resulting in three deliveries and one miscarriage.
The Commission then, miffed by the situation, threatened to sanction any State Pilgrims Welfare Boards found culpable.
The commission described the situation as an unacceptable warning that those responsible would face consequences for compromising health regulations.
Reacting to the development, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Planning, Research, Information, Statistics and Library Services, Professor Abubakar Abubakar Yagawal, expressed concern over how the expectant mother managed to scale through pre-Hajj medical checks. While fielding questions from journalists in Madinah, Yagawal admitted that it was difficult to place full blame on the State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and agencies due to factors such as insecurity in parts of the country, which he said may limit effective screening.
The Commissioner, however, said NAHCON would continue to engage state handlers to ensure diligence in the screening of their pilgrims, particularly the female pilgrims, to safeguard the life of the pregnant pilgrim and her foetus.
THE GUARDIAN
