2024 Hajj: NAHCON moves to review catering, accommodation guidelines

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To ensure better service delivery for Nigerian pilgrims to the 2024 Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Acting Chairman/CEO, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, on Tuesday inaugurated a committee to review the extant guidelines on accommodation and catering services.

Speaking at the event, Arabi stated that the review of the existing guidelines would contribute to better performance of service providers which in turn would benefit the Nigerian pilgrims.

He submitted that the constitution of the committee was not an innovation but just another way to tinker with the existing mechanism in order to deliver better results.

According to him, there was a need for dynamism in the operations of the Hajj body to conform with best global practices.

In his words, “What we are doing now is not to introduce rocket science but just to improve on the way we are doing things.

“Like it happens in some other parts of the world, we need to be dynamic. As it is the global practice, we have to improve in our ways, to be in conformity with the international best practices.”

The NAHCON boss then urged members of the committee to approach the assignment with an open mind and a keen sense of responsibility as their report would have great promise in influencing how the Hajj body would implement next year’s Hajj accommodation and catering services in Saudi Arabia.

While expressing confidence in members’ ability to come out with timely recommendations, Arabi told them that they were free to expand the scope of their assignment in arriving at workable suggestions.

“As experienced staff, I have no doubt that you will carry out the assignment with utmost good faith.

“You also have the leeway to expand beyond the scope of reference, so that whatever recommendation/suggestion you proffer will enrich our knowledge as well as the betterment of the Commission,” Arabi told the committee members.

Responding on behalf of the committee members, Dr Aliyu Tanko, expressed gratitude to the chairman for the opportunity provided to them to serve.

While asserting that the tasks given to members are daunting, Tanko expressed hope and confidence in the members to carry out the assignment in the best possible ways.

According to the committee chairman, the assignment given to the committee had a lot to do with the outcome of the 2024 Hajj.

“It is a daunting task, no doubt because whatever we do will impact the result of the 2024 Hajj either positively or negatively. But our prayer is that our report will bear positive fruits,” Tanko said.

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