The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has issued a recommendation to state pilgrim welfare boards, advising them to obtain a deposit of N4.5 million from prospective hajj pilgrims for the year 2024.
Following a meeting held in Abuja with chairpersons and executive secretaries of the state’s pilgrim board, the Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Hassan, expressed that the cost of the upcoming hajj pilgrimage is expected to be higher. This increase is attributed to the federal government’s implementation of a unified foreign exchange policy.
According to Daily Trust, Hassan pointed out that the commission is unsure of what the pricing for pilgrims will be with the dollar now trading at N750 due to currency fluctuations.
According to him, the deposit could fluctuate based on how the naira performs.
“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.”
Hassan stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would stop issuing visas to Arafah after 45 days, noting that preparations for the 2024 elections had already started.
