Socio-economic and political uses of the Hajj (pilgrimage) in Nigeria

Nigerian Muslims are very much aware that Hajj (pilgrimage) is an Islamic obligation. Much of Nigerian Muslims' lives are shaped around the performance of this duty. Hajj is seen as a means for increasing one's religious spirit and for increasing unity among the faithful from around the world. Hajj thus has social, political, and economic implications in Nigerian society. Muslims who are known to have performed Hajj are respected and tend to look out for one another. Performing the Hajj, in fact, is one of the most certain ways of advancing socially and economically in the Muslim community. Nigerians typically overlook their internal differences during the pilgrimage.