Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) that monitors and reports on Hajj and Umrah activities, has commended the leadership of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for introducing the most realistic Hajj fare for the 2024 Hajj pilgrims.
On Saturday, NAHCON announced this year’s Hajj fare for intending pilgrims from Nigeria. Those from the southern part are expected to pay N4,899,000, while their counterparts from the north will pay N4,699,000. Pilgrims from Yola and Maiduguri are to pay N4,676,000.
The announcement of the fare follows NAHCON’s success in reducing the cost of Hajj through negotiations on vital services such as flight tickets and accommodation.
This announcement also coincided with a time when the exchange rate of the US dollar, which constitutes about 85% of Hajj expenses, was escalating daily.
In a statement on Monday signed by its national coordinator, Ibrahim Mohammed, IHR stated that it is aware that “the average cost of Hajj this year across the globe is about $6000, and based on the prevailing exchange rate in Nigeria, the fare for Hajj would have translated to over N6 million.”
The group emphasized that the highest fare of N4.899 million indicates that the shrewd negotiation tactics employed by NAHCON have saved Nigerian pilgrims around N1.5 million each.
However, IHR advised the Hajj Commission to refrain from unnecessarily raising intending pilgrims’ hopes of a reduced fare until all options are considered and decisions are taken.
NAHCON Chairman, Mallam Jalal Ahmed Arabi, has consistently assured that the cost of Hajj this year will not exceed the N4.5 million announced as a deposit for all pilgrims.
In a recent statement by the Head of Public Affairs of the commission, details of the reduction in prices of vital services were provided ahead of the fare announcement. This raised the hope of pilgrims that the fare might be less than N4.5 million after all.
For example, the statement highlighted that the “cost of accommodation in Madinah dropped from SR 2,080 (Saudi Riyals) in 2023 to SR 1,665 this year. Similarly, the cost of accommodation in Makkah was negotiated at SR 3000 against SR 3,500 for the previous year. Pilgrims of the 2024 Hajj will pay SR 4,770 for the Masha’ir package (VAT inclusive) against SR 5,393 paid by last year’s pilgrims. For airfare, the Commission was able to beat down the cost with a $138 discount from what was paid last year.”
This analysis sparked hope of a possible reduction in Hajj fare that would be below the initially promised N4.5 million by the NAHCON Chairman, irrespective of foreign exchange rates. Intending pilgrims might not be aware of the arithmetic intricacies involved in Hajj fare computations.
Contrary to age-long practice, the statement announcing the Hajj fare was silent on the amount of Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) that each pilgrim is expected to receive. IHR urged NAHCON to inform all intending pilgrims immediately about the BTA to aid their proper planning for the pilgrimage and to promote transparency and accountability.
