The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that there will be no concessionary rates or government subsidies provided for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. This development was disclosed by NAHCON’s Commissioner for Operations, Anofi Elegushi, following a virtual meeting with Private Tour Operators.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!According to REFMEDIST, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has allocated 95,000 pilgrim slots to Nigeria, with each pilgrim expected to pay at least $6,000 to cover costs of transportation, accommodation, and feeding during the Hajj exercise. At the current exchange rate of N1,653/$1, each intending pilgrim will pay no less than N9.9 million.
NAHCON’s spokesperson, Fatima Usara, confirmed that there would be no concessionary rates for pilgrims registered under the States Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards or through private operators. “It was confirmed that for the 2025 Hajj, there will be no concessionary exchange rate from the government for Hajj fare payment for pilgrims, whether under state or private Hajj operators,” she stated.
The Federal Government had offered a subsidy of N90 billion to NAHCON to support the 2024 Hajj pilgrims. However, with the removal of the subsidy, pilgrims may pay up to N10 million for the 2025 exercise.
Some states, including the Federal Capital Territory, have announced initial deposits of N8.4 million for intending pilgrims. NAHCON has yet to fix deposit fares for the 2025 Hajj.
Elegushi addressed other issues with Private Tour Operators, stating that the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reduced the number of approved operators from 20 to 10. Each operator must register a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims to be considered for visa approval.
Regarding refunds, Elegushi announced that all 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims who traveled for Hajj in 2023 will receive a refund of 150 Saudi Riyals. NAHCON is still awaiting information on the refund of the 2022 Hajj, except for Private Tour Operators that camped at Field Office 18 in 2022.
The Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has officially announced N8.4 million as the 2025 Hajj deposit for intending pilgrims from the state. Director General Alhaji Lamin Rabi’u Danbappa explained that the deposit was based on NAHCON’s directive.
Danbappa advised intending pilgrims to ensure timely payments according to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s schedule for the 2025 Hajj. “To complete the registration process, intending pilgrims are required to submit eight passport-sized photographs, a valid passport, and have a personal bank account for proper identification.”
NAHCON has allocated 4,356 Hajj seats to Kano State, which will be distributed across all 44 local governments. Chairman of the Board of Directors, Yusif Lawan, urged Local Government Hajj Centre Officers to work diligently to secure and manage the allocated seats.