The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON) Malam Jalal Arabi, has said that the N90 billion subsidy provided by the Federal Government for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage was largely used as intervention to bridge gaps in pilgrims’ flight fares.
A total of 65,000 Nigerian pilgrims performed this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia, while 40 of them died during the pilgrimage.
The House of Representatives had constituted a committee, chaired by Sada Soli (APC Katsina), to probe NAHCON’s performance during the pilgrimage after some state governors expressed dissatisfaction with the Commission, especially over alleged inadequate provision of accommodation in Muna, Saudi Arabia, and insufficient Basic Travel Allowance, BTA, for pilgrims from their states.
Making clarification on the utilization of the fund, Arabi explained that the subsidy was utilized to address the increase in the 2024 Hajj costs.
“The Federal Government granted us a N90 billion subsidy, which we carefully utilised to address the unprecedented increase in Hajj costs.
“The high dollar exchange rate caused the cost per seat to surge above N9 million, necessitating our intervention to mitigate the burden on pilgrims.
“To address the issue, we convened a meeting with representatives from all states to discuss the matter. We then compiled a list of intending pilgrims who had already paid the approved N8 million.
“Subsequently, we supplemented the remaining N1.6 million for each of the over 50,000 pilgrims to complete the payment, ensuring that their Hajj journey was not disrupted,” he said.
“The N1.6 million used to supplement the Hajj fares of 50,000 pilgrims would amount to N80 billion, leaving about N10 billion from the money provided by the government. In the interview, Arabi said the remaining funds were prudently used for other logistics but did not provide the breakdown,” he stressed.
Arabi added that, unlike other commissions in Nigeria, NAHCON does not receive regular subventions from the Federal Government, either monthly or annually, to fund its operations.
On the achievements of NAHCON under his leadership, he said: “In our first year in the helms of affairs, we made concerted efforts to deliver optimal results, acknowledging that we faced some obstacles.
“Nevertheless, we have drawn valuable insights from our experiences and are committed to building upon our progress.
“The Commission has already commenced preparations for next year’s Hajj, and we are confident that our services will be even more efficient and effective, surpassing the expectations of our esteemed pilgrims.”
It would be recalled that NAHCON concluded the airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with the arrival of 312 pilgrims from Kwara State.