No Hajj for Pregnant Women in 2025, Says Lagos Government

Citing health and safety concerns, the Lagos State Government has formally prohibited pregnant women from taking part in this year’s Hajj trip.

Olanrewaju Ibrahim Layode, Commissioner for Home Affairs, made the statement in Badagry on Wednesday. He emphasized that pregnant women’s health is at serious risk due to the demanding nature of the journey.

Layode pointed out that the state’s action is in line with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s (NAHCON) order, which forbids State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards from registering expectant mothers for the pilgrimage.

While discussing the pilgrimage preparations, such as the opening of medical clinics in Makkah and Madinah and the issuance of Yellow Cards to different states, Professor Abubakar Yagawal, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistics, Information, and Library Services (PRSILS), reaffirmed the policy in support of the directive.

“The Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs is also acting on the directive of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who has emphasized the need to ensure that only medically fit individuals are cleared for the pilgrimage,” Layode continued.

“Those who are traveling to Makkah will start to travel by May,” stated Governor Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House, Marina, during the First Family of Lagos State and Ministry of Home Affairs Eid-el-Fitr celebration. Please make sure you’re doing well. Do not travel for the 2025 Hajj if you are sick; instead, remain in Nigeria and offer prayers.

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“It is extremely risky and delicate for pregnant women to perform the Hajj exercise,” the Commissioner for Home Affairs stated.

The procedures are thorough. An expecting lady shouldn’t go through the Tawaf, Safa, or Marwah from Medina to Makkah. Because they were born in Saudi Arabia, it has nothing to do with style or naming a child after a prophet.

The commissioner disclosed that some women had tried to conceal their pregnancies in order to participate in the pilgrimage in the past, with some reportedly submitting their husbands’ urine for medical examination.

The state government has implemented sophisticated medical screening procedures to stop these dishonest practices, such as stationing mobile diagnostic vans at select screening locations that are capable of detecting tuberculosis and pregnancy.