The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has urged state pilgrim welfare boards to collect N4.5m as deposits from 2024 hajj pilgrims.

Speaking after a meeting with chairmen and executive secretaries for the state’s pilgrim board Tuesday in Abuja, the Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Hassan, said the fare for the next hajj would be expensive due to the unification of foreign exchange by the federal government.

Hassan noted that with the dollar currently at N750, the commission is not certain what the price for pilgrims would be owing to the fluctuation of forex.

He said the deposit might change depending on the performance of the naira.

The price for the 2023 hajj was N2.8m when the exchange rate was N450 to the dollar.

“I must tell you that next year’s hajj is going to be expensive. This is something we must prepare for, starting from today. I am not saying we will be able to know the cost today, but what we must be able to know is that the hajj is going to be expensive.

“This is because the age of the concessionary rate is gone. As we speak now, the forex is at N740 to dollar, so, if you multiply that with the dollar of hajj last year, you can imagine how many more million you will need to add to the cost of hajj. The government has been clear on it. Will the N740 come down? I don’t know, but I pray it comes down.”

Hassan, who noted that the preparation for the 2024 had begun, said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would end the issuance of visa 45 days to Arafah.

He said this would stop state governors from changing the names of approved pilgrims to accommodate new ones.

“By the 29 of April, visa issuance will close. 10 days after, pilgrims will begin to arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (Daily Trust)

•PHOTO: Cross section of participants during the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) meeting to review the 2023 hajj operations . . . Tuesday in Abuja

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