Group Laments Slow Pace of 2024 Hajj Preparations by NAHCON

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

A civil society organisation has lamented the slow pace with which the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is handling the preparation for the 2024 Hajj.

A statement signed by the National Coordinator, Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), Ibrahim Mohammed, in Kano, said the commission has about four months to conclude this year’s Hajj preparations.

The faith-based group, therefore, appealed to NAHCON to exploit the limited time available even though “all registered Mutawiff in Saudi Arabia have their allotted pilgrims, it is still like moving from known challenges to unknown but certain headaches.

“Nigeria has about four months from now to conclude all necessary arrangements such as collection and deposit of pilgrim’s fares, signing of MoU, and engagement with service providers both at home and in Saudi Arabia.

“While we acknowledge the recent advice by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria for pilgrims to save N4.5 million as a deposit, we believe that it’s not enough.

“Currently, states have less than 120 days to register the 2024 intending pilgrims, and we are aware of the uncertainties around how much will be the equivalent of dollar components in the hajj rate template.

“We expect that all states should have announced the commencement of registration of intending pilgrims while NAHCON on its part should move with lightning speed to negotiate how to get the foreign exchange component benchmark of the forthcoming pilgrimage. Anything short of that is simply risking Nigerians’ participation in hajj 2024.”

The CSO noted that it expected both NAHCON and the states to have vigorously begun an enlightenment campaign regarding the existing FX policy and how it affects the hajj fare. “States pilgrims boards must as a matter of urgency embark on a state-wide publicity on 2024 registration as every other arrangement is tied to the number of pilgrims that will be registered by the states,” the group said.