The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has directed state pilgrim welfare boards to collect deposits of N4.5 million from prospective hajj pilgrims for the year 2024.
The Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Hassan, made this announcement following a meeting with chairpersons and executive secretaries of the state’s pilgrim boards in Abuja on Tuesday.
He cited the anticipated higher cost for the next hajj due to the federal government’s unification of foreign exchange rates.
Hassan acknowledged that with the current exchange rate of the dollar at N750, the commission cannot determine the exact pilgrim fare due to forex fluctuations.
He emphasized that the deposit amount may be subject to change based on the performance of the naira.
The report states that the price for the 2023 hajj stood at N2.8 million when the exchange rate was N450 to the dollar.
Hassan cautioned, “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.”
He further explained that the era of concessionary rates had passed and elaborated on the implications of the exchange rate, stating, “As we speak now, the forex is at N740 to the 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.”
Hassan also mentioned that preparations for the 2024 hajj had already commenced and informed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would cease visa issuance 45 days before Arafah.
This change is aimed at preventing state governors from altering the list of approved pilgrims to accommodate new ones.
He specified, “By the 29th of April, visa issuance will close. 10 days after, pilgrims will begin to arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It means you have between 40 to 50 days to Arafat when you can’t do a visa anymore.”
Additionally, Hassan revealed that NAHCON had established a committee to explore the possibility of securing refunds for services not rendered to Nigerian pilgrims during the 2023 hajj.
