According to a report by The Punch on Saturday, March 7, 2026, hundreds of Nigerian Muslims are currently counting their losses as the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran has grounded flight operations across the Middle East.
The war, which intensified following strikes on Tehran and retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases, has led to the total closure of critical airspaces and the cancellation of thousands of flights.
For many Nigerians, the timing couldn’t be worse. With the final ten days of Ramadan approaching—a peak period for the lesser Hajj (Umrah)—intending pilgrims had already spent millions of naira on non-refundable visas, flights, and luxury hotel accommodations in Mecca and Medina.
One government official from Kwara State lamented losing over N5 million in hotel bookings alone after Emirates Airline suspended services.
The crisis has hit travel agencies hard as well. While some airlines are offering to reschedule tickets, they are flatly denying refund requests, citing the war as a “force majeure” event. Hotels in Saudi Arabia are similarly refusing to return payments.
One Osogbo-based businessman reported losing N13 million intended for a group trip with his wife and associates, with no clear path to recovering the funds.
Beyond the financial hit, there is a growing humanitarian concern. Reports from Saudi Arabia indicate that some Nigerians already in the holy land are now stranded, unable to find flights back home.
Some have run out of money and are currently relying on the charity of fellow Nigerians to settle mounting hotel bills.
With no immediate end to the hostilities in sight, thousands of religious dreams remain in limbo.