Nigerian Pilgrims Asked To Deposit N4.5m For 2024 Hajj

• Kazeem Badmus

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has told intending pilgrims ahead of the 2024 Hajj to prepare to deposit a minimum of N4.5 million, signalling an increase in the cost of the pilgrimage for the upcoming year.

NAHCON also indicated that it is currently reviewing the reports from the committees responsible for overseeing the 2023 Hajj.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, made this known after a meeting with chairmen and executive secretaries for the state’s pilgrim board on Tuesday in Abuja.

Hassan noted that with the dollar currently at N750, the commission is not certain what the price for pilgrims would be owing to the fluctuation of forex.

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Osun Defender reports that the price for the 2023 hajj was N2.8m when the exchange rate was N450 to the dollar.

He said the deposit might change depending on the performance of the naira.

 

He said, “I must tell you that next year’s hajj is going to be expensive. This is something we must prepare for, starting from today. I am not saying we will be able to know the cost today, but what we must be able to know is that the hajj is going to be expensive.

“This is because the age of the concessionary rate is gone. As we speak now, the forex is at N740 to dollar, so, if you multiply that with the dollar of hajj last year, you can imagine how many more million you will need to add to the cost of hajj. The government has been clear on it. Will the N740 come down? I don’t know, but I pray it comes down.”