By Ibrahim Abubakar Nagarta
As activities ahead of Hajj 2025 take full swing, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is deploying necessary measures to ensure a hitch-free and rewarding spiritual exercise for Nigerian pilgrims.
For obvious reasons, the Hajj exercise in the country comes with peculiar concerns every year. Little wonder the NAHCON receives maximum national attention at a period of this nature.
Nevertheless, it is imperative for Nigerian Hajj Media Support, a concerned group monitoring and reporting hajj affairs as they relate to Nigerian pilgrims, to express deep satisfaction with the level of preparations put in place so far by NAHCON.
Just recently, the group witnessed the conclusion of the pre-Hajj visit of all stakeholders in the industry to Saudi Arabia, where NAHCON, on behalf of Nigeria, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various service providers that would render premium accommodations, transportation, feeding, and other necessary welfare services to Nigerians in Saudi Arabia.
The group also vividly recalls the successful conclusion in the selection of air carriers that will convey Nigerian contingents to the Holy Land. Four airlines, including one Saudi-based airline, scaled through after due diligence.
READ ALSO: NAHCON Announces Fare For 2025 Hajj
Similarly, the Commission released the much-awaited final fare for the 2025 Hajj to the public. The fare for this year’s pilgrimage eventually came with ease and doused the tension of possible outrageous costs many unpatriotic elements patiently awaited.
But NAHCON, under the diligent chairmanship of Professor Pakistan, released the unexpected. According to the template, pilgrims from Adamawa and the Maiduguri zone will pay N8,327,125.59; those from other northern regions are billed N8,457,685.59, while their counterparts from the southern region are expected to remit N8,784,085.59.
Of course, those who are familiar with what determines the differential in the fare know too well that it wasn’t intentional to force pilgrims from one region to pay more or less as against their counterparts from other zones, as the cost is purely based on the nautical miles between the designated destination and the holy land.
No doubt, the final fare for the 2025 Hajj came with a slight variance of less than a 4 percent increase compared to what pilgrims paid in 2024, even with the federal government subsidy that could not be explained. The present management of NAHCON under Professor Abdullahi Usman Pakistan has surprised the speculators waiting for the N10 million announcement.
Even though much less was expected, the group considered the fact that Hajj fare is predominantly dollar-based, and Nigerian pilgrims are being charged based on the market rate of naira and its equivalent in exchange for US dollars.
Incidentally, the NAHCON Chairman, Professor Abdullahi Usman Pakistan, cleared the air on the N1,600 used as a benchmark to determine the Hajj fare.
While defending NAHCON’s budget for 2025 before the National Assembly on Tuesday, Professor Pakistan justified the decision of the commission to peg N1,600 as a baseline, essential to avoid the volatility of the exchange rate.
READ ALSO: Hajj: NAHCON Begins Vaccination Of Prospective Pilgrims
The Nigeria Hajj Media Support monitored how the volatility of the exchange rate of the naira to the US dollar almost disrupted the previous Hajj exercise. Of particular note was how pilgrims were forced to carve out extra charges spanning millions of naira just to fill in the difference gap that suddenly crashed the naira.
The Nigeria Hajj Media Support, therefore, wishes to reaffirm confidence that NAHCON, under the able leadership of Professor Abdullahi Usman (Pakistan), has taken a bold step and preventive measure against any eventuality that may further escalate the hajj fare.
Recall that Professor Pakistan, on the assumption of the hot seat at the Hajj house, pledged to operate under accountability and transparency. We don’t expect anything less from a man of proven integrity.
In any case, the group has the confidence that NAHCON, under Professor Pakistan, will not hesitate to announce any surplus out of what was charged and even propel a refund of such balance to pilgrims when necessary.
However, the group is aware of the evil hunters within and around the commission, under any disguise, that may be plotting the downfall of the present management. We can only encourage them to continue chasing shadows. Those raising false alarms have more time to watch the activities of NAHCON and raise necessary criticism at this point.
NAHCON, under Professor Pakistan, will not be distracted by the antics of unscrupulous elements but rather focus on the ball with concentration, making this year’s hajj better than previous experiences.