The Oyo State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has fixed N2.6 million as an initial deposit for 2023 Holy pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The board chairman, Sayed Malik, made this known at the Hajj Camp, Olodo, in Ibadan, on Saturday.

Mr Malik specifically said the amount was fixed pending the announcement of the actual fare by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

He said the 150 intending pilgrims, who could not perform the 2022 exercise due to limited seats allocated to the state, would be given priority.

Mr Malik enjoined all intending pilgrims with the state Pilgrim Welfare Board for the 2023 exercise to start paying the stated amount into any of the designated bank accounts of the board.

While informing board members about the critical issues and other important matters relating to the 2023 Hajj operation discussed during the first pre-Hajj visit to Saudi Arabia, Malik said NAHCON had allocated 1441 seats to the state for the 2023 Hajj.

NAHCON, along with states’ chairmen and secretaries of Muslim Pilgrim’s Welfare Board across the country, recently arrived from Makkah, where they embarked on a pre-Hajj discussion with the Saudi Authority.

(NAN)