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Reps Seek Subsidise Hajj Fare Amid Hardship

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10 months ago

Feb 16, 2024.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the House of Representatives on Thursday, urged the federal government to intervene by subsidizing the 2024 Hajj fare to facilitate the participation of intending Muslim pilgrims in the pilgrimage to Makkah.

Furthermore, the House mandated its committee on Muslim pilgrimage to engage the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON) in reviewing and reassessing processes and strategies aimed at making pilgrimage fares more affordable for intending pilgrims.

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The call by the House follows the adoption of a motion by Representative Umar Shehu Ajilo during the plenary session.

Representative Ajilo, while leading the debate on the matter, emphasized the significance of Hajj as an essential pillar of the Islamic religion. He highlighted that Hajj entails the visitation of holy mosques and other historical sites in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, among other significant rituals.

He, however, expressed concerns that this year’s hajj fare was fixed at “a very exorbitant rate” of about N5m; an amount which he noted “is unsuitable for the middle and low-income intending pilgrims.”

Ajilo noted that given the prevailing economic reality it had become necessary to reassess and review the processes and procedures adopted by the National Hajj Commission in arriving at the fare with a view to reducing it, thereby making it affordable to the intending pilgrims.

The motion was unanimously adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
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This online media platform gathered that Nigeria might not be able to fill all the 95,000 hajj seats allocated to it for this year’s pilgrimage as many intending pilgrims are yet to either deposit part of the fare or pay the balance.

The depreciation of the naira jacked up the hajj fare to N4.9m for this year from the initial minimum N4.5m pegged by NAHCON.

Sequel to an adjustment in the methodology for setting the exchange rate, the naira slid to a record low on January 30, 2024, selling for 1,413 against the dollar at the official window.

The NAHCON, on February 3, said intending pilgrims for this year’s hajj from Southern states were required to pay N4,899,000; those from Northern states N4,699,000 and those from Yola and Maiduguri N4,679,000.

The deadline, which the commission gave for final payment to enable it to transfer the money to the service providers before the February 25, deadline set by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, elapsed on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHOUN) has cried out over low patronage, saying it will be difficult for its members to sell out all the 20,000 hajj slots allocated to them by the federal government.

Speaking at the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday in Abuja, the outgoing President of AHOUN, Nasidi Suleiman, blamed the low patronage on the new Saudi Arabian rule to close hajj registration early.

He also said the volatility in the Nigerian exchange market was creating instability for umrah fare.

Suleiman said, “Very few of us can boast that they can sell all their slots timely to be able to meet the visa closure dateline.

“The changes introduced on the number of companies to operate hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the timing for the closure of issuance of hajj visa and the complexity associated with merger and consolidation of companies to work together have added more salt to injury than providing a soothing relief of hope to our members.”The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Arabi, commended the outgoing leadership of the association for his contribution to the hajj and umrah industry.