In view of the current floating rate of the Naira against the dollar, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Tuesday told Nigerians intending to perform next year’s Hajj to start depositing a minimum of N4.5 million because 2024 Hajj would be more expensive than previous years.
The NAHCON Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, made the declaration at a meeting with state Muslim pilgrims welfare boards, agencies and commission held at the Hajj House in Abuja to review the 2023 Hajj.
While informing that the Hajj body has commenced preparations for the 2024 Hajj, Hassan said the Muslim community in Nigeria had to prepare for the high cost of the next Hajj.
“Next Hajj is going to be expensive. We must prepare for this starting from today. Gone forever, it appears, is the age of concessionary rates,” Hassan said.
According to him, the Nigerian government had been clear about it that there would only be one rate for the Nair against other currencies, adding that this was the major reason the fare for the next Hajj would be high.
“As we speak now, the forex is at N740 to the US dollar. So if you multiply that with the dollars of the last Hajj, then imagine how many more millions you will need to add to the cost of Hajj in 2024. So, that is to tell you to prepare ahead, it is a fact that it is going to cost more,” he said.
He added that should the exchange rate come down, the fares would be low, while it would be high if the current high exchange rate continued.
The NAHCON CEO informed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had released the calendar for the 2024 Hajj, adding that by April 29, 2024, issuance of visa for Hajj would close, while 10 days later, pilgrims would begin to arrive the Kingdom for the spiritual exercise.
He added that unlike previous practice, by the next Hajj, Saudi authorities wanted to know the number of pilgrims coming from each country 40 to 50 days before Arafat, saying that, “the laxity of waiting is no more.”
Reviewing the 2023 Hajj operations, Hassan informed that the Commission was able to record successes despite some challenges.
According to him, for the first time since 2013, the commission was able to airlift all the over 90,000 Nigerian pilgrims that registered and were issued visas.
He informed that 28 days were spent to airlift pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, while the same days were spent in bringing them back to the country.
Speaking on the inadequacies expressed by pilgrims in Muna, NAHCON set up a committee even before the end of the 2023 Hajj and was able to write Saudi authorities for refunds for services not provide and also to apologise to the Nigerian pilgrims.
“Hajj 2023 has come and gone and part of the success is the fact that we have been able to take all pilgrims granted visas to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from statistics.
“2023 is the year we are able to take this large number to Saudi Arabia after 2013, the last 10 years. This year 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims were safely taken to Saudi Arabia.
“Second is the fact that we lost some people. May Allah forgive them of their sins and admit them into paradise. The numbers that we lost were minimal, but we wish it would be less.
“We are also aware of the fact that there were challenges in Muna primarily because spaces given to Nigerians were inadequate and there was a shortage of food.
A committee was set up to review these inadequacies and before we left Saudi Arabia we requested for refund and an apology.
“While we wait for the refund and apology, I wish to inform you at this stage that preparation for Hajj 2024 has commenced,” Hassan said.
Tribune Online reports that Nigerian pilgrims that went to Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj paid between N2.88 million and N2.99 million.
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