The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON and Ja’iz Bank have signed an agreement to enable the take-off of the Hajj Savings Scheme.
The ceremony was attended by representative of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; representative of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Malam Musa Bello; the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Pilgrimage, Hon Hassan Nalaraba; the Chairman Ja’iz Bank, Alhaji Umar Mutallab; the Managing Director of Ja’iz Bank, Mallam Hassan Usman; NAHCON Board members, chief executive officers of States’ Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards and representatives of Licensed Tour Operators, among others.
NAHCON Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, described the launch as one of the most important achievements of the fourth board since its inauguration in February this year.
He described the Hajj Savings Scheme as a contributory payment scheme for prospective Muslims wishing to undertake pilgrimage to Makkah, while stressing that the last two boards made significant progress towards the implementation of the Hajj Savings Scheme.
Mustapha, who was represented by Olusegun Adekunle, advised NAHCON and Ja’iz Bank to invest in cyber security as they launch the scheme. He also affirmed that promotion of national cohesion and social inclusion is one of the core principles upon which the administration’s Economic Growth Recovery Plan (ERGP) is built.
Mutallab said Ja’iz expects that the scheme will uplift NAHCON’s self-sustenance and ensure utilisation of Hajj slots allocated to Nigeria by Saudi Arabia.
He expressed optimism about the success of the scheme, which he said will serve as a template for other countries to emulate.
In his submission, Usman disclosed that a unit in the bank has been dedicated to the scheme, with staff and befitting platform designated for success of the program.
Meanwhile, the NAHCON Chairman has revealed that registration for Hajj 2021 has commenced under state pilgrims’ boards.
