TOPSHOT - Muslims pray around the Kaaba, Islam's holiest shrine, at the Grand Mosque complex in the Saudi city of Mecca, during the fasting month of Ramadan, on April 9, 2022. - Saudi Arabia said today it will permit one million Muslims from inside and outside the country to participate in this year's hajj, a sharp uptick after pandemic restrictions forced two years of drastically pared-down pilgrimages. (Photo by Abdel Ghani BASHIR / AFP) (Photo by ABDEL GHANI BASHIR/AFP via Getty Images)
The Saudi authorities have urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to adhere to the timeline for next year’s pilgrimage.
This decision emerged from the first virtual preparatory meeting for the 2025 Hajj, which took place last Thursday between NAHCON and officials from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
During the meeting, it was agreed that out of the 95,000 slots allocated to Nigeria, 75,000 will be assigned to various states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as government quota. The remaining 20,000 slots will be designated for the private sector.
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NAHCON’s delegation, led by Commissioner for Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Prince Aliu Abdulrazaq, included other senior officials such as Prince Anofi Elegushi, Commissioner for Operations, Inspectorate and Licensing, and Professor Abubakar Yagawal, Commissioner for Planning, Research, Statistics, Information, and Library Services (PRSILS).
Hajj
Representing Saudi Arabia were officials from the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the Saudi Immigration Service, and the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).
Prince Abdulrazaq commended the Saudi Ministry for the successful 2024 Hajj operations and updated the Saudi delegates on NAHCON’s preparations for 2025. He highlighted several challenges faced by Nigerian pilgrims this year, including shortages of toilets in Mina, inadequate meal provisions, transportation issues, and problems with tent allocations despite Nigeria’s extra payments.
He also pointed out the difficulties some pilgrims experienced due to inactive NUSUK identity cards and requested that these issues be addressed to prevent recurrence in 2025.
In response, Dr. Badr Assulamy, Director General at the Office of the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah and Chief Consultant for Pilgrims’ Affairs, urged NAHCON to fully support the preparations for a successful 2025 Hajj. He outlined a timeline for activities leading up to the Hajj, emphasizing the need for timely payments, completion of agreements with Saudi service providers, and the issuance of licenses to stakeholders. Visa issuance is scheduled to begin on February 19, 2025, and he encouraged NAHCON to finalize visa issuance before this date.
Dr. Assulamy advised NAHCON to collaborate with service providers to select the best locations in Mina and to be patient with issues that arose this year. He also noted that all pilgrims must be vaccinated against yellow fever, COVID-19, meningitis, and other diseases and should declare any pre-existing conditions during registration.
Ms. Rawan Alassaf introduced a new awareness platform developed by the Ministry to improve pilgrims’ experiences and provide interactive learning in Makkah and Madina. She invited NAHCON to appoint a communication officer to work with the Saudi Ministry on developing specific content to assist Nigerian pilgrims, noting that educational materials are available in 16 languages and can be distributed in print as well.
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