The Lagos State Government has officially prohibited pregnant women from partaking in this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, citing concerns over health and safety.
This decision was made public on Wednesday in Badagry by the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Olanrewaju Ibrahim Layode, who explained that the physically demanding nature of the pilgrimage poses serious risks to the well-being of expectant mothers.
Layode further emphasized that this move is in line with the directive issued by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, which instructed State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards not to register pregnant women for the pilgrimage.
Echoing the directive, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistics, Information, and Library Services, Professor Abubakar Yagawal, confirmed the policy while discussing preparations for the Hajj, including the setup of medical clinics in Makkah and Madinah and the distribution of Yellow Cards to various states.
The Lagos State Ministry of Home Affairs, according to Layode, is also following the directive of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who has underscored the importance of ensuring only individuals who are medically fit are allowed to participate in the pilgrimage.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, speaking at the First Family of Lagos State and Ministry of Home Affairs Eid-el-Fitr celebration at the Lagos House in Marina, advised, “By May, those travelling to Makkah will begin to travel. Please ensure you are in good health. If you are ill, refrain from travelling for the 2025 Hajj; stay back and pray here in Nigeria.”
Layode elaborated on the risks for pregnant women, stating, “It is very dangerous, very delicate for expectant women to go for hajj exercise. The processes are rigorous. From Medina to Makkah, the Tawaf, the Safa and Marwah, these are not things an expectant woman should undergo. It’s not about fashion or naming a child after a prophet because they were born in Saudi Arabia.”
The commissioner also revealed that in previous years, some women had attempted to conceal their pregnancies to join the pilgrimage, including cases where individuals allegedly submitted their husbands’ urine for medical screening.
To deter such deceptive practices, the state government has implemented enhanced medical screening procedures, which include the deployment of mobile diagnostic vans capable of detecting pregnancies and tuberculosis at designated screening centres.
