In a recent development, Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has generously covered N500,000 for each intending pilgrim from Kano who will be participating in this year’s Hajj through the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board.
This information was disclosed by Alhaji Lamin Dan Baffa, the Director General of the Board, during a briefing session with journalists on Wednesday.
The decision to subsidize the Hajj fares for Kano pilgrims was influenced by the rise in Hajj costs by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, primarily due to the fluctuating forex exchange rates.
Addressing the challenges faced by many intending pilgrims amidst the current economic conditions, Dan Baffa expressed, “The increase in Hajj fares poses a significant burden on many intending pilgrims, hence, we initiated this subsidy program to alleviate their financial strain.”
Dan Baffa reiterated the call for all intending pilgrims to settle their remaining balance by March 28, 2024, as per the directive from NAHCON.
He also clarified that the beneficiaries of the Hajj subsidy are those who have already made partial payments to the board, with over 2,900 intending pilgrims having fulfilled this requirement.
Earlier in the week, NAHCON announced a hike in Hajj fares by N1,918,032.91, bringing the total cost to N6,617,032.91.
For new intending pilgrims, the full Hajj fare for this year stands at N8,254,464.74, as mandated by NAHCON.