State Funded Pilgrimage: A Misplaced Priority

Published By Jerry Adesewo On Apr 6, 2025

State Funded Pilgrimage: A Misplaced Priority

By Jerry Adesewo

Each year, thousands of Nigerians travel to Saudi Arabia and Israel under the sponsorship of the Nigerian government. The intention—on paper—is noble: to enable Muslim and Christian faithful fulfill their spiritual obligations. But over time, this practice has degenerated into a misallocation of scarce public funds, and in many cases, an avenue for the elite to reward loyalists or simply enjoy tax-funded tourism.

Let us begin with the obvious: pilgrimage is a deeply spiritual journey. It is, by design, a personal act of devotion, often rooted in sacrifice, reflection, and commitment. In Christianity, it mirrors the journey of Christ and the pursuit of holy ground; in Islam, it reflects obedience to Allah and the completion of one of the five pillars of the faith. Nowhere in either faith is it suggested that such a sacred duty should be funded by a secular government.

The Abuse of a Sacred Process

Yet, in Nigeria, state-funded pilgrimages have become an annual ritual. It is estimated that the federal and state governments collectively spend between N20 billion to N30 billion annually on these religious adventures. When you break that down—airfare, accommodation, feeding, allowances, clothing, administrative costs, and security logistics—the figures become even more outrageous. At an average cost of N3 million per pilgrim, sponsoring just 10,000 people swallows up a staggering N30 billion. That is enough to build at least 300 fully equipped primary healthcare centers, or renovate over 100 public schools, or provide clean water supply to over 500 rural communities.

This practice is not just wasteful—it is abused. In my time as Secretary of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), at the Bwari Area Council level, I witnessed firsthand the rot within the system. The Bwari OAIC was allocated just two slots for pilgrimage—supposedly to ensure inclusivity—but even within our small group, it became a subject of contention. I watched respected officials lobbying and fighting for the chance to be selected. It became clear that the pilgrimage itself had been reduced to a status symbol, a stamp of governmental favor, and an opportunity for personal gain. And maybe like I posited in my article last week, they might just be interested in the title…. ‘JP’.

The abuse doesn’t end there. top government officials who have attended pilgrimage up to three or four times, not out of religious piety, but because it was their “turn.” Some state governors reportedly hand out slots to their loyalists—sometimes in hundreds—as a reward system, not as a means of deepening faith. The spiritual essence has long taken a back seat. A government official was reported to have nominated as many as 300 pilgrims for the exercise recently.

Just last week, I had a particularly disturbing experience at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, while returning from an engagement in Marseille, when I overheard a conversation between two pilgrims coming back from Hajj. They were openly discussing how much they had to pay the official who nominated them. One of them spoke of his business and how Hajj allowed him to scout for international contacts and goods. It was not an exception. Growing up, I knew a lady who had participated in both Hajj and Jerusalem pilgrims, which was purely for business purposes – to buy gold from Mecca and Jerusalem, to sell in Nigeria. It was the reality. This pilgrimage had become business, not faith, but commerce; not supplication, but a state-funded shopping trip.

Faith Without Works is Dead

It is important to recognize that there are still sincere pilgrims among us—those who save for years to embark on these journeys, who fast, pray, and prepare with reverence. But they are increasingly drowned out by the noise of opportunism. The pilgrimage boards—both Christian and Muslim—have become bloated agencies with questionable value, perpetuating a system that should not even exist in a secular state.

The Nigerian Constitution makes no provision for religion in public governance. In a country where millions are homeless, where over 20 million children are out of school, where roads and public hospitals are death traps, and where salaries go unpaid for months, how can we justify such lavish spiritual tourism?

The hypocrisy is even more glaring when you consider that the same government that fund religious pilgrimages is unable to provide funds for rehabilitation centers, for public enlightenment campaigns on moral and civic values, or for education initiatives in the grassroots. We have become a nation that prays without building, fasts without planning, and journeys to holy lands while our home rots in corruption, neglect, and inequality.

Let me be clear: I am not against pilgrimage. I am, however, firmly opposed to public funding of it. Spiritual matters must be personally owned and privately pursued. Let those who feel called to walk where Christ walked, or to circle the Kaaba, make the necessary sacrifices to get there, as is done in other parts of the world. Our public funds must serve the common good, not selective benefits.

Imagine what would happen if that N30 billion spent yearly on pilgrimage was redirected. Picture thousands of rural girls receiving education. Picture a functioning public hospital in each local government. Picture youth skill acquisition centres, picture a cottage theatre in every local government area, local farming cooperatives, road repairs, and solar electrification projects. Picture hope, real and tangible, not bought with oil money but earned through wise stewardship.

Pilgrimage, when self-funded, becomes a humbling, sacred, and transformative experience. When state-funded, it is reduced to a reward system for the privileged and connected. It fuels division, religious competition, and a dangerous sense of entitlement.

As we reflect this week from the pulpit, may we remember the words of James 2:17: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” We must stop funding dead faith with public money. Let our works be the roads we build, the children we educate, and the hospitals we equip—not the lists we compile for holy travels.

A Call to Action

It is time we rise above symbolic religiosity and begin to demand real, accountable leadership—leadership that prioritizes the collective well-being over performative spirituality.

With every sense of responsibility and in the spirit of national interest, I respectfully call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to take one bolder and more patriotic step: end the practice of state-funded spiritual tourism, often masked as religious pilgrimage. This policy, though long-standing, no longer serves the moral or developmental purpose it may have once claimed. The billions allocated annually for such ventures could be redirected to critical sectors—education, healthcare, infrastructure, and job creation—projects that will have tangible, lasting impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

Let this administration be remembered not just for economic reforms, but also for redefining our national priorities with courage and conviction.