The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says pilgrims enjoyed a $410 reduction in accommodation fare in this year’s Hajj operation, among other services.

Zikrullah Hassan, the NAHCON chairman, disclosed this during an interactive session with newsmen on Sunday in Lagos.

“We were able to reduce the cost of accommodation in Makkah from $930 to $520 per pilgrim during this year’s Hajj operation. We were also able to reduce the number of days pilgrims spent in Saudi Arabia,” Mr Hassan told journalists.

According to him, NAHCON also pegged Hajj fare to the barest minimum, recorded a low mortality rate, achieved 95 per cent travel despite challenges associated with the post-COVID-19 operation and arranged the return journey of all pilgrims “earlier than scheduled.”

“Normally, preparation for Hajj operations should take a minimum of six months, but we had less than one month to prepare for this year’s Hajj, which came with many challenges,” he explained.

He, however, identified the lack of a national carrier for transporting pilgrims to and from Saudi Arabia as a major challenge the commission is grappling with, among others.

Mr Hassan assured that NAHCON had started preparation for the 2023 Hajj in earnest to overcome some of the challenges this year.

“We met with all officials of Hajj operators during Hajj 2022 for discussion on areas of service delivery to pilgrims. We agreed to work collectively and to improve service delivery to pilgrims by setting standards for operation,” he stated. “Preparation has already started on due diligence for the appointment of Air Carriers for the Hajj 2023 operation.”

The NAHCON chairman also unfolded a plan to fine-tune the Hajj Saving Scheme (HSS) operations to assist intending pilgrims in saving enough money to fulfil their desire for the spiritual journey.

He also mentioned that countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have operated similar schemes for years and have had enough returns on investment to subsidise Hajj fare significantly. 

He also hinted that NAHCON “is making consultations on the amendment of some sections of the NAHCON Act” to enhance its operations and smoothen the HSS. 

(NAN)