Tag: NAHCON

Nigerian Govt Approves Air Peace, Fly-Nas, Max Air, UMZA For 2025 Hajj Operations

Ganiyu Amodu

The Federal Government has approved four airlines as official air carriers to transport intending Nigerian pilgrims for the 2025 hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Executive Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Prof. Abdullahi Usman, made this known in a statement by the commission’s Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Mrs Fatima Usara, on Sunday in Abuja. Usman explained that the four airlines were selected out of the 11 companies that submitted applications to transport Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for Muslims pilgrimage. According to Usman, the four…

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Rooting For Hajj With Excellence In 2025, By Tunde Akanni, PhD

Tunde Akanni, PhD

Hajj administrators all over the world are often quick to assert that the preparations for the next hajj begins as soon as the just concluded one is over. Breathing life into this claim may however assume a different coloration depending on the faithfulness of the claim maker. For the current leadership at NAHCON there appears to be some commitment to some exciting vision. Beyond being heavily credentialed, the Prof Saleh Usman leadership keeps signaling strong re-engineering for a the commission that deserves the best NAHCON’s recent activities have underscored its…

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Nigeria Embargoes Hajj Subsidy Ahead 2025 Pilgrimage

Ganiyu Amodu

Muslims intending to travel to Saudi Arabia for the 2025 Hajj may have to pay more as the federal government of Nigeria has suspended subsidies for Hajj payments. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) confirmed the development in a statement issued on Monday through the commission’s spokesperson, Fatima Sanda Usara. It is worth noting that the government subsidies typically come in the form of a concessionary exchange rate, enabling pilgrims to purchase dollars at a lower rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). However, Usara announced, “There will…

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Hajj 2024: NACHON Admits Delayed Staff Stipend, Seeks Understanding

ADEOLA YUSUF

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has admitted that the financial downturn that impacted many aspects of the 2024 Hajj operations did not leave out the payment of the Commission’s staff stipend for the ongoing exercise. Following this, NAHCON Chairman, Jalal Arabi, solicited maximum support and cooperation from all the concerned parties. A statement signed on his behalf by the Commission’s Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, Arabi indicated that he was fully aware that not all would be happy with “this drastic departure from the past”, still, said…

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Tinubu’s Intervention Made 2024 Hajj Possible, Says NAHCON Chairman

ADEOLA YUSUF

The Chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Malam Jalal Arabi, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s timely intervention made this year’s Hajj possible for Nigerian pilgrims. Arabi made this known during an inaugural flight for Lagos State pilgrims at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja. The NAHCON boss urged the pilgrims to make special prayers for the President. He said: “We know no human can do anything unless Allah wishes that it happens. But we would be very unfair to ourselves and to history if we don’t mention the…

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Hajj 2024: NAHCON Confirms Inaugural Flight, As Advance Team Arrives Saudi

ADEOLA YUSUF

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has confirmed that the inaugural flight for the incoming exercise is scheduled to take off with Kebbi state pilgrims this week, just as the advance team has arrived in Saudi Arabia. The Commission’s Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, disclosed this in a press statement, on Monday. According to her, the take-off flight with 428 passengers on FlyNas, will depart Nigeria from the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport (SABIA) in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital. The flag-off will be witnessed by diplomats, members…

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Internal Crisis Rocks Nigeria’s Hajj Commission Over Glitch, Job Racket

Aliyu Aliyu

NAHCON Board Member, Staff protest exclusion, intending pilgrims, private operators kick   The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has been rocked by internal crisis bouyed by alleged employment racket and glitch in the operations of 2022 exercise. This, a report by Daily Trust on Sunday read, came as the 2022 hajj operations continued to be dogged by challenges, with thousands of intended pilgrims projected to miss this year’s exercise. Already, the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) said that at least 2,550 intending pilgrims belonging to 51 tour…

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2021 Hajj: Tension as Saudi quiet on Nigeria’s quota 38 days to Arafat

Aliyu Aliyu

Hajj and Umrah operator wants Nigeria to cancel 2021 Hajj, opens up on why fares may skyrocket to N2.7 million per pilgrim   The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is yet to make public, quota for Nigeria as at Thursday, June 10, which is exactly 38 days to the Day of Arafat. Official data shows that Arafat Day comes up on 18th and/or 19th of July. Platforms Africa reports that even if Saudi communicates today and open the road for limited foreign pilgrims, the cost of hajj is expected to skyrocket.…

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