The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has advised intending pilgrims to continue with the 2020 Hajj registration pending the Saudi Arabia Kingdom’s final position.
NAHCON, in a statement on Sunday by its Head of Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, said Saudi Arabian authorities had not taken a final decision on cancellation or otherwise of the 2020 Hajj exercise.
“For this reason, this plan is not applied in Nigeria alone; there are other Muslim countries taking this step as well to forestall any last-minute unpreparedness,” it said.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Arabian Hajj Minister Mohammed Banten had on April 1 said the Kingdom was concerned about the safety of pilgrims, urging those getting ready for the spiritual journey to delay concluding contracts.
The NAHCON noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had cancelled Umrah in 2020 indefinitely, saying “Thus, no one is advised to make a payment towards embarking on Umrah trip in the year 2020 to any operator”.
It urged intending pilgrims to report to NAHCON, any unlicensed tour operator encouraging them to make 2020 Hajj or Umrah payments to their agencies.
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