Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has disclosed that 51,447 intending Nigerian pilgrims registered for the 2024 Hajj under the federal government quota of 90,000.
The Assistant Director, of Public Affairs, NAHCON, Fatima Sanda Usara, disclosed this yesterday in a statement.
The Hajj rites for this year are scheduled for Mecca and some holy sites in surrounding Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat, and Jamarat from June 14 to June 19, in addition to visitation to Madinah.
It would be recalled that after depositing N4.9 million as hajj fares, many potential pilgrims were confronted with uncertainty after NAHCON demanded an additional N1.9 million in fees to cover the cost of the exercise due to volatility in the exchange rate. The deadline for the payment of the balance was March 28.
The breakdown of the list shows Kaduna State has the highest number of registered pilgrims of 4, 493 while there are no pilgrims on federal quota from the four southern states of Abia, Cross River, Anambra, and Akwa Ibom.
The Armed Forces will also have 365 pilgrims, while Kogi, Bayelsa, and Ebonyi states have the least number of pilgrims 13 each.
Sanda thanked the federal government for playing a leading role in the realisation of this noble objective, noting that NAHCON recognised the numerous sacrifices it made against all odds towards easing the constraints of the intending pilgrims.
“The commission also commends the patience exhibited by the pilgrims who were caught up in the uncertainties. The concern demonstrated by the Ulamas over the pilgrims’ predicament did not go unnoticed by the commission. Several stakeholders, including state governors, rendered solutions out of the gridlock. Some media houses showed tremendous understanding of the constraints which exposed the reality of the quagmire the 2024 Hajj was confronting.
“Indeed, 2024 Hajj preparations came with unexpected challenges from which lessons have been learnt. NAHCON has always known that long-term planning has been the workable strategy that would have subdued the challenges that slowed down the year’s Hajj preparations. Going forward, long-term planning will be the commission’s paradigm shift in its pre-Hajj operations. It is a reality that all Hajj stakeholders must key into to avert unforeseen challenges,” Sanda said.
