*Photo: Prof Abdullahi Saleh Usman, NAHCON Chairman/CEO *
The conventional as well as the non-conventional media have for the past 48 hours or so been awashed with the news of the final announcement of 2025 Hajj fare by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria’s boss Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman Pakistan.
It could be recalled that, for the past two weeks now, Prof. Abdullahi Pakistan, has been in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with his down-to-earth team, that comprises of key stakeholders in the Hajj industry, trying to fine-tune ways and avenues to make 2025, Hajj exercise much more successful, rewarding and cost-effective than the previous Hajj operations without significant hike in the hajj fare compared to that of 2024, which recorded the highest fare increase ever in the history of hajj operation in Nigeria.
Indeed, before the announcement of the 2025 hajj fare of recent, majority of Nigerians, particularly those with the intention to partake in this year’s spiritual journey of pilgrimage, were of the belief and conviction that, given the current exchange rate of the Naira to Dollar and vice versa, the Hajj fare would most likely be up to Ten Million Naira or even higher, but praise be to Allah, that projection has now been proved wrong courtesy of the foresight and proactive measures swiftly taken by the NAHCON’s Chairman and his team, by engaging in constant dialogue and bargaining with various service providers such as accommodation, airline carriers and so forth, which yielded positive outcome by stemming the hajj fare to its current level of less than N9 million as against the projected N10 million by many citizens.
The vice president, his Excellency, Kashim Shettima must be commended for he has played a significant role in offering the NAHCON’s leadership with all the necessary supports and advice that led to the achievement of this commendable feat.
However, the Nigerian Hajj Media Support Team, wishes to join other well-meaning Nigerians to plead with the government at the centre, to consider extending a helping hand to this year’s intending pilgrims by granting subvention to further reduce the hajj cost in order to avail more Nigerian Muslims the opportunity to embark on the lifetime dream journey!
*Ibrahim Abubakar Nagarta is the
National Coordinator,
Nigerian Hajj Media Support Team
