Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board to proceed with the 2024 hajj and Ramadan umrah operations with the sale of form to intending pilgrims.
Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ibrahim Layode, made this disclosure in his office on Tuesday, according to a statement signed by the board’s secretary, Mr Saheed Onipede.
The statement quoted the commissioner as saying that Governor Sanwo-Olu gave the directive for early commencement of the operations in order to build on the achievements recorded during the last exercise and provide improved service delivery for the intending pilgrims.
Layode said the early commencement would give every intending pilgrim ample opportunity to do complete all necessary arrangements within the time frame given by the Saudi Arabian before the commencement of hajj and umrah in 2024.
According to him, the cost of hajj form is N20,000 while the Ramadan umrah form goes for N10,000.
He stressed that items required to be provided by the intending pilgrims include valid international passport, payment of initial deposit of N4.5 million and medical screening to ascertain their health status.
The commissioner emphasised that the initial deposit, as earlier announced by the chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, subsisted.
He, however, stated that if there would be need for any adjustment in the future, the intending pilgrims and the general public would be informed accordingly.
While urging interested Muslims residing in the state and those from other states to hasten to obtain their form for either hajj or Ramadan umrah, he said the state was committed to providing them with the environment to carry out their spiritual obligations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seamlessly.
The statement urged any individuals, groups or organisations interested in performing the holy pilgrimages through Lagos State to make contacts through its designated telephone numbers.
The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah had recently announced the allocation of 950,000 hajj seats to Nigeria for the 2024 exercise, from which NAHCON allocated 3,517 slots to Lagos State.
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