THE Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR) has commended the leadership of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for coming up with what it called the most realistic fare for 2024 Hajj pilgrims.
NAHCON had recently announced that intending pilgrims from the southern part of the country were expected to pay N4.899 million while their counterparts from the North will pay N4.699 million and pilgrims from Yola and Maiduguri, N4.676 million.
The announcement came after NAHCON said it had succeeded in cutting down the cost of Hajj through a downward negotiation of the prices of vital services such as flight tickets and accommodation.
The announcement also came at a time when the exchange rate of the United States dollar, which constitutes about 85 percent of Hajj expenses, was hitting the roof on a daily basis.
IHR, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Ibrahim Mohammed, said it is aware that “the average cost of Hajj this year across the globe is about $6000 and based on the prevailing exchange rate in Nigeria, the fare for Hajj would have translated into over N6 million.”
The group, therefore, said the highest fare of N4.899 million indicated that the “shrewd negotiation tactics” employed by NAHCON had saved Nigerian pilgrims around N1.5 million each.
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