NAHCON in dilemma as low turnout threatens 2024 Hajj preparations

There are strong indications that Nigerians might not be able to fill the 95,000 seats allocated to the country for the 2024 hajj, Daily Trust Saturday reports.

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) had fixed December 31 as the deadline for the remittance of hajj deposits paid to Pilgrims Welfare Boards in states by intending pilgrims.

According to the commission, the payment deadline is to enable it have an idea of the number of people that would participate in the exercise.

Also, having the data is crucial to other negotiations the commission would do with service providers in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.

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However, the high price for the hajj and early closure of payment has led to low turnout from intending pilgrims.

While the commission is yet to state whether the deadline would be extended, Daily Trust Saturday gathered that less than 25,000 pilgrims had paid the deposit so far.

The challenge to fill the hajj slot is further compounded by late allocation to private tour operators as 20,000 seats allocated to the 40 companies were issued out on Monday.

This development delayed the preparation of the companies as they said the earlier suspension of the approved companies by NAHCON was owing to grievances by those not selected.

How hajj fare rose by 682% in 10 years

The economic headwind facing the country also touched the hajj industry due to 99 per cent of payment made in dollars.

The minimum hajj fare over the years has been in the tune of $6,000, and with the naira volatility, this has affected the price Nigerian pilgrims have to pay.

Before the unification of the forex window by the government, Nigerian pilgrims often accessed dollars at a concessionary rate from the official prices of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

With that no longer tenable, the NAHCON asked for a deposit of N4.5million pending when the final fare would be announced.

The concessionary rate has made the hajj fare to be on the minimum, and a 10- year analysis showed that the fare rose by over 600 per cent from 2013 to 2023.

A breakdown shows that the hajj fare cost N639,498 in 2013, it increased to N689,061 in 2014, went up to N723,76 in 2015, N905,556 in 2016, N1,155,947 in 2017, a drop to N1,492,867.50 in 2019 and N1.5 million in 2020.

COVID-19 prevented international pilgrims from participating in 2020 and 2021, but by 2022, the price rose to N2, 496,815. In 2023, it was N3m while the price may increase to N5m or N5.1m going by the current exchange rate of N841 per dollar.

Why NAHCON wants to conclude preparation early

The NAHCON has announced on different occasions that the new policy introduced by Saudi Arabia has made it difficult to go on with payment of hajj fare a few weeks to the commencement of Arafat as obtained before in the country.

This is due to the short period given to complete all negotiations with service providers in the kingdom while the issuance of visa will end 50 days to the day of Arafat.

While the commission initially set the deadline of payment for November, it said the wisdom behind the decision revolved around having “a more realistic figure to bargain for cost of accommodation, airline fares, feeding and others knowing the number of persons that were able to reach the N4.5m threshold by the time of preparatory meetings.”

It stated that the commission was expected to complete payment for accommodation and holy sites contracts by February 2024 to enable commencement of visa issuance by March 3 till April 29, 2024.

But the low turnout has indicated that intending pilgrims are yet to heed to call. While the 67 per cent increase in fare is a huge factor, another might be the timing as a huge portion of the pilgrims are sponsored through individuals and companies who organise quizzes during Ramadan.

States, tour operators lament low turnout, seek extension of deadline

Pilgrim Welfare Boards are yet to announce the entire intending pilgrims that paid their deposits, but Daily Trust Saturday gathered that as at December 27, the figure was yet to reach 25,000.

This is just as board chairmen in Kwara, Niger and Kaduna states lamented low turnout. They warned that non-payment before December 31 would not give many people the opportunity to go for hajj.

When contacted, the executive secretary, Nasarawa State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Mallam Idris Ahmad Almakura, confirmed the low turnout of intending pilgrims.

Almakura, who is also the chairman of the Forum of Chief Executive Officers of State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies and Commissions, said he could not confirm the number of people that paid.

He said the forum was discussing with the NAHCON on the issue and it is trying its best to overcome the challenge, adding that something good would come out.

Asked if the deadline should be extended, he said, “We think there should be an extension, we are discussing with them. Although they said the date was sacrosanct, we are hoping there would be an extension because we have low turnout.”

The same situation is panning out with private tour operators as the publicity secretary of the Association for Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHOUN), Nasir Chamo, said theirs was more precarious.

Chamo said the NAHCON gave hajj allocation to the operators on Monday.

“There is a very poor turnout considering the deadline. Pilgrims in the state received their allocation on time but we received ours in the last three days. We have a very huge responsibility and challenge to start marketing our price. Traditionally, our fare will be slightly higher than the state pilgrims,” he said.

He said the 40 companies approved for the exercise were giving 500 slots although a merger was made from the 104 companies that were prequalified in the initial bidding process by the NAHCON.

“One other challenge we will face is that most of our passengers are VIPs and working class people. They do their things late and don’t have the habit of paying in advance. So, we have low turnout in terms of paying.

He, however, said some payments had started trickling in. Some paid N4m or N3m while others are making part payment of N1m.

Meanwhile, a source at NAHCON told Daily Trust Saturday that representatives of the commission were travelling to Saudi Arabia by January 8 to sign a memorandum of understanding with service producers.

The source said the payment of the deposit was very important as it is on the basis that the commission would know what it is bargaining.

He added that delay would affect its preparation as lack of the information on the number of pilgrims is affecting approval for airlines that would airlift the pilgrims.

“By December 31 we need to know the number of pilgrims to enable us allocate slots to each of the airlines. It is only screening and approval that are going on. We have submitted the report and waiting for the government to approve it,” the source said.

The source, however, said the commission had not decided on the extension; and it is not on the card for now.

Why we are reluctant – Prospective pilgrims

Umar Farouq Hussain, a lawyer based in Abuja, said he had hoped to go for next year’s hajj but changed his mind due to the high cost.

Hussain, who participated in the 2023 exercise, said he won’t be able to pay double of the N3m he paid using a tour operator but would instead go for Umrah.

“I have reconsidered going for hajj as it would cost more from what I paid in 2023. The experience will not be different but the cost is huge, so I opted for Umrah since it would cost less.”

Moshood Adeleke, who is planning to sponsor two of his family members, said the high cost would not deter him from his promise, but he is yet to pay a deposit as requested.

“The financial commitment I have now is much and that is the reason I have not paid. But it is a promise I have made, so I have a plan to fulfill it before the deadline,” he said.