INTENDING PILGRIMS TO PAY MORE FOR HAJJ 2025 AS NAHCON CONFIRMS ABSENCE OF SUBSIDY
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has stated that there will be no concessionary rates or government subsidy for pilgrims during the 2025 Hajj Exercise.
This was disclosed on Monday by NAHCON Commissioner for Operations, Anofi Elegushi, following a virtual meeting with Private Tour Operators.
In a statement by the Spokesperson for the Commission, Fatima Usara, Elegushi confirmed that there would be no concessionary rates for pilgrims registered under the state Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards or through the operators.
“It was confirmed that for the 2025 Hajj, there will be no concessionary exchange rate from the government for Hajj fare payment for pilgrims, whether under state or private Hajj operators,” the statement partly read.
The development would mean that at the current exchange rate of over N1,600/$1, pilgrims, who are usually required to pay at least $6,000 each, may pay up to N10 million for the 2025 exercise.
In 2024, the Federal Government had offered a subsidy of N90bn to the Commission to support intending pilgrims for the 2024 hajj exercise.
While NAHCON is yet to fix deposit fares for the 2025 Hajj, some states, including the FCT, have announced initial deposits of N8.4 million for intending pilgrims.
Addressing other issues of contention with the PTOs, Elegushi stated that instead of 20 private companies to spearhead the conduct of the exercise, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had reduced the number to only ten, with a stipulation to register a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims to be considered for visa approval.
He added that all pilgrims who traveled for the 2023 Hajj would receive a refund of SR150 Saudi Riyals, noting however that NAHCON was still awaiting information on the refund of the 2022 Hajj refunds, except for PTOs that camped on Field Office 18 in 2022.
“All 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims that travelled for Hajj in 2023 from both states and private operators are to receive SR150 each (one hundred and fifty Saudi Riyals) as a refund. He disclosed that NAHCON has already started working towards making the payments”.
“As for the 2022 refund, the Commission is still awaiting further details, however, Prince Elegushi revealed that refund details have emerged only for PTOs that camped on Field Office 18 in 2022. They are to collectively receive SR62,602 (sixty-two thousand six hundred and two thousand Saudi Riyals) as a refund for poor feeding in the Masha’ir”, the statement added
The Commissioner also clarified that contrary to claims that NAHCON owes PTOs N17 billion from the 2024 Hajj caution deposit of N25 million, the Commission received only N2 billion, 750 million, from 110 companies that registered for the 2024 Hajj.
He said the amount included a rollover of N1billion, 250 million from the previous year. From the amount, 30 companies had requested refunds amounting to N750m, which has been paid, while the balance still in the custody of the Commission accruing to undecided PTOs is N750m.
