NAHCON Advises Intending Pilgrims to Deposit N4.5m for 2024 Hajj

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has advised state pilgrim welfare boards to collect N4.5m as deposits from intending pilgrims for the 2024 hajj.

The Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, who was speaking recently in Abuja, said the fare for the next hajj would be expensive due to the foreign exchange unification policy of the federal government.

Hassan noted that with the dollar currently at N750, the commission cannot say with certainty how much pilgrims will pay for next year’s hajj.

He said the deposit might change depending on the performance of the naira.

It would be recalled that theprice for the 2023 hajj was N2.8m when the exchange rate was N450 to the dollar.

“I must tell you that next year’s hajj is going to be expensive. This is something we must prepare for, starting from today. I am not saying we will be able to know the cost today, but what we must be able to know is that the hajj is going to be expensive.

“This is because the age of the concessionary rate is gone. As we speak now, the forex is at N740 to dollar, so, if you multiply that with the dollar of hajj last year, you can imagine how many more million you will need to add to the cost of hajj. The government has been clear on it. Will the N740 come down? I don’t know, but I pray it comes down,” the NAHCON Chairman explained.

Hassan, further revealed that as the preparation for the 2024 begun, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced that the issuance of visa to pilgrims will end 45 days to Arafat, and therefore urged state governments to stop changing the names of approved pilgrims to accommodate new ones as it would not be tolerated under the new Saudi policy.

“By the 29 of April, visa issuance will close. 10 days after, pilgrims will begin to arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Unlike what we do when it is two days to the closure of the flight, somebody will say my governor wants some people to go to hajj and look for the slot, the Kingdom says it is gone forever. It means you have between 40 to 50 days to Arafat when you can’t do a visa anymore,” he stated.

He said NAHCON had constituted a committee to look into how a refund would be secured for services not rendered to Nigerian pilgrims during the 2023 hajj.

Reacting, National Coordinator, Independent Hajj Reporters, Ibrahim Muhammed, said Nigeria might not be able to fill the slots given to it for next year’s hajj.

Muhammed, who noted that 80 to 90 per cent of hajj payment is done in dollars, urged the government to allow the pilgrims to access concessionary for the dollar to reduce the price.

“This is a manifestation of the current weakening position of the naira against the United States dollar. As you are aware, the hajj fare computation template is about 80 to 90 per cent dollar bases. Air tickets, pilgrims’ accommodation, catering services, transportation within Saudi Arabia, otherwise known as car syndicate, are paid in dollars.

“Even the pilgrims Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA) is paid to them in dollars.”

He said the only naira components in hajj fare are the pilgrims’ uniforms, suitcases and service charges.

“Therefore, the current policy of the federal government on forex will certainly affect the cost of 2024 hajj as announced by the NAHCON chairman.

Muhammad urged the federal government to find a way of curtailing the negative effects of this policy on hajj cost by allowing pilgrims to access dollars at a relatively concessionary rate.

Sheikh Fuad Adeyemi, National Chief Imam, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, asked the federal government to provide support for intending pilgrims who are sincere worshipers and not those who are all year goers.

He said: “I think we have a problem here, if the dollar and naira exchange rate does not come down, I think next year’s hajj is going to be a challenge. Remember that the country is a bit tough now for an average citizen.

Adeyemi, a former Commissioner of NAHCON, also urged the commission to evolve a way of cushioning the effect of the high cost of hajj fees through the hajj savings scheme and levies being paid by pilgrims over the years.

Also, renowned cleric and Managing Director of Comerel Travels-Nigeria, Ustaz Abubakar Siddeeq Muhammad, said unless a solution is found in the dollar components of the rate of services rendered to the pilgrims, hajj price will continue to soar in proportion to the dollar rate.

“It is imperative to note that payment for hajj services such as visa, air ticket, accommodation, etc are not done in naira. This means that the reason advanced by the NAHCON is tenable due to the current situation.

“The current board of the commission, it must be noted, has striven in many ways to make pilgrimage affordable for Nigerians. The same issue of the dollar rate stalled the efforts.

“Whatever is the case, NAHCON should ensure that Nigerian pilgrims have value in terms of comfort and standard of service for what they expend in fulfilling this obligation,” Muhammad said.

Chief Executive Officer, All Qibla International Service (QIS), a Hajj and Umrah operator, Alhaji Abdulfatah Abdulmojeed, said N4.5m might not be enough for the hajj components.

He said, “I doubt if the N4.5m would be enough. Don’t forget that this year, the state paid about N3m and the exchange rate used was N460.

The official exchange rate today is about N760, N770 which is almost about 70 per cent increase. So if you now use N1.7m, you would see that the N4.5m might not be enough.

“There is no need for an argument about this. Just add N1.7m to N3m paid this year, you know what it is. It might be around N6m eventually and that is at the minimum and the fare might be around N7m for the private operators with the way things are going. This is not on any high side. It is the value of naira that has dropped.”

The hajj operator said it was high time Nigerian Muslims embraced the Hajj Savings Scheme recently introduced by NAHCON for ease of performing the sacred exercise.

He noted that many people might find it difficult to remove N4m or N6m from their business to perform the spiritual exercise.

NAHCON Advises Intending Pilgrims to Deposit N4.5m for 2024 Hajj

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has advised state pilgrim welfare boards to collect N4.5m as deposits from intending pilgrims for the 2024 hajj.

The Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, who was speaking recently in Abuja, said the fare for the next hajj would be expensive due to the foreign exchange unification policy of the federal government.

Hassan noted that with the dollar currently at N750, the commission cannot say with certainty how much pilgrims will pay for next year’s hajj.

He said the deposit might change depending on the performance of the naira.

It would be recalled that theprice for the 2023 hajj was N2.8m when the exchange rate was N450 to the dollar.

“I must tell you that next year’s hajj is going to be expensive. This is something we must prepare for, starting from today. I am not saying we will be able to know the cost today, but what we must be able to know is that the hajj is going to be expensive.

“This is because the age of the concessionary rate is gone. As we speak now, the forex is at N740 to dollar, so, if you multiply that with the dollar of hajj last year, you can imagine how many more million you will need to add to the cost of hajj. The government has been clear on it. Will the N740 come down? I don’t know, but I pray it comes down,” the NAHCON Chairman explained.

Hassan, further revealed that as the preparation for the 2024 begun, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced that the issuance of visa to pilgrims will end 45 days to Arafat, and therefore urged state governments to stop changing the names of approved pilgrims to accommodate new ones as it would not be tolerated under the new Saudi policy.

“By the 29 of April, visa issuance will close. 10 days after, pilgrims will begin to arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Unlike what we do when it is two days to the closure of the flight, somebody will say my governor wants some people to go to hajj and look for the slot, the Kingdom says it is gone forever. It means you have between 40 to 50 days to Arafat when you can’t do a visa anymore,” he stated.

He said NAHCON had constituted a committee to look into how a refund would be secured for services not rendered to Nigerian pilgrims during the 2023 hajj.

Reacting, National Coordinator, Independent Hajj Reporters, Ibrahim Muhammed, said Nigeria might not be able to fill the slots given to it for next year’s hajj.

Muhammed, who noted that 80 to 90 per cent of hajj payment is done in dollars, urged the government to allow the pilgrims to access concessionary for the dollar to reduce the price.

“This is a manifestation of the current weakening position of the naira against the United States dollar. As you are aware, the hajj fare computation template is about 80 to 90 per cent dollar bases. Air tickets, pilgrims’ accommodation, catering services, transportation within Saudi Arabia, otherwise known as car syndicate, are paid in dollars.

“Even the pilgrims Basic Traveling Allowance (BTA) is paid to them in dollars.”

He said the only naira components in hajj fare are the pilgrims’ uniforms, suitcases and service charges.

“Therefore, the current policy of the federal government on forex will certainly affect the cost of 2024 hajj as announced by the NAHCON chairman.

Muhammad urged the federal government to find a way of curtailing the negative effects of this policy on hajj cost by allowing pilgrims to access dollars at a relatively concessionary rate.

Sheikh Fuad Adeyemi, National Chief Imam, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, asked the federal government to provide support for intending pilgrims who are sincere worshipers and not those who are all year goers.

He said: “I think we have a problem here, if the dollar and naira exchange rate does not come down, I think next year’s hajj is going to be a challenge. Remember that the country is a bit tough now for an average citizen.

Adeyemi, a former Commissioner of NAHCON, also urged the commission to evolve a way of cushioning the effect of the high cost of hajj fees through the hajj savings scheme and levies being paid by pilgrims over the years.

Also, renowned cleric and Managing Director of Comerel Travels-Nigeria, Ustaz Abubakar Siddeeq Muhammad, said unless a solution is found in the dollar components of the rate of services rendered to the pilgrims, hajj price will continue to soar in proportion to the dollar rate.

“It is imperative to note that payment for hajj services such as visa, air ticket, accommodation, etc are not done in naira. This means that the reason advanced by the NAHCON is tenable due to the current situation.

“The current board of the commission, it must be noted, has striven in many ways to make pilgrimage affordable for Nigerians. The same issue of the dollar rate stalled the efforts.

“Whatever is the case, NAHCON should ensure that Nigerian pilgrims have value in terms of comfort and standard of service for what they expend in fulfilling this obligation,” Muhammad said.

Chief Executive Officer, All Qibla International Service (QIS), a Hajj and Umrah operator, Alhaji Abdulfatah Abdulmojeed, said N4.5m might not be enough for the hajj components.

He said, “I doubt if the N4.5m would be enough. Don’t forget that this year, the state paid about N3m and the exchange rate used was N460.

The official exchange rate today is about N760, N770 which is almost about 70 per cent increase. So if you now use N1.7m, you would see that the N4.5m might not be enough.

“There is no need for an argument about this. Just add N1.7m to N3m paid this year, you know what it is. It might be around N6m eventually and that is at the minimum and the fare might be around N7m for the private operators with the way things are going. This is not on any high side. It is the value of naira that has dropped.”

The hajj operator said it was high time Nigerian Muslims embraced the Hajj Savings Scheme recently introduced by NAHCON for ease of performing the sacred exercise.

He noted that many people might find it difficult to remove N4m or N6m from their business to perform the spiritual exercise.