Under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the federal government has allocated N90 billion to subsidise the 2024 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
Previously, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) set the fare at N4.9 million per pilgrim, based on an exchange rate of N897 to a dollar.
At the time, the commission announced fares of N4,899,000 for southern pilgrims, N4,699,000 for northern pilgrims, and N4,679,000 for pilgrims from Yola and Maiduguri.
Recently, NAHCON’s spokesperson, Fatima Usara, issued a statement indicating an increase in the fare by N1,918,032.91, bringing the total to N6.8 million.
Intending pilgrims were given until March 28, 2024, to complete their payments for the pilgrimage.
This fare hike has led to widespread dissatisfaction, with many suggesting it is an intentional move to prevent Nigerian Muslims, particularly those attempting the pilgrimage for the first time, from participating.
In recent developments, a confidential source from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) disclosed to Daily Trust that the government has provided a N90 billion subsidy for the hajj fare.
This undisclosed informant remarked that without such aid, intending pilgrims would have had to contribute an additional N3.5 million to the initial fare of N4.9 million.
The informant also mentioned that if NAHCON had received N230 billion in federal support, it would have eliminated the need for any additional contributions from pilgrims.
Due to the foreign exchange crisis, the Hajj Commission has required intending pilgrims to pay an extra N1.9 million each. The commission’s actual requirement was N230 billion to address the fare difference caused by the forex issue.
The government’s N90 billion assistance was declared in front of journalists during the inauguration of NAHCON’s board and management at the Vice Presidency’s office on February 28, 2024. However, reporters were instructed not to publicize this information, leading to its absence in newspaper reports.
“The balance can be achieved if the intending pilgrims pay ₦1.9 million,” stated the source.
He mentioned that the NAHCON has reached out to state governors to subsidise the hajj fare for intending pilgrims in their states. Kano has already subsidised it by ₦500,000 per pilgrim.
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“Initially, the N90 billion from the federal government would have subsidised 19,000 intending pilgrims by ₦3.5 million each. However, distributing it among 50,000 pilgrims lowers the subsidy to ₦1.9 million per pilgrim, meaning the federal government has already subsidised ₦1.6 million for each pilgrim before asking them to contribute the remaining ₦1.9 million,” he explained.
A senior official at the Presidency confirmed that the federal government has indeed provided financial support for the hajj exercise.
When asked if the federal government had released as much as N90 billion for the pilgrimage, the official responded, “that might not be far from the truth.”
He further added, “Certainly, the federal government has extended support to the pilgrims in response to their grievances.
“Typically, the government prefers not to publicly disclose any support given to any religious group, be it Christian or Muslim, to avoid the perception of favoring one faith over another.”
