The announcement of the 2025 Hajj fare by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) was yesterday greeted with mixed reactions from stakeholders and intending pilgrims.
This is just as there is a low turnout of people registering for the 2025 Hajj less than a month before the deadline given by NAHCON, reports Daily Trust.
Intending pilgrims who spoke with our correspondent yesterday said the announcement of fare by NAHCON came rather too late, saying they had thought the Hajj fare would be around N10 million and they had diverted the money to other things.
NAHCON had announced fare for the 2025 Hajj pegging it at N8.7million for intending pilgrims in the South and N8.3 million for those in the North.
The Chairman of NAHCON, Prof. Abdullahi Saleh Usman, said the commission exerted lots of efforts to ensure the Hajj fare did not go beyond N9 million.
In an interview with BBC Hausa, the chairman said the fare was kept at N8.3 million for intending pilgrims from Borno and Adamawa zone, N8.4million for those in the Northern zone and N8.78million for those in the southern states following extensive discussions with the authorities in Saudi Arabia.
Initially, we were worried that this year’s hajj seat fee could go up to N10 million or more, but with God’s help and consultations with those who assist pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, we were able to make it easier.
Prof. Abdullahi also announced the final deadline for payment of Hajj seat fee for 2025, stating, “Any pilgrim who does not pay by February 5, 2025, should consider deferring their participation to next year.
“We have an agreement with the Saudi authorities, where we set a deadline for payment to make necessary arrangements. So if someone does not pay by February 5, which is the final deadline, they will have to wait for the 2026 Hajj season.”
Meanwhile, a statement by NAHCON’s Assistant Director, Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara, noted that the fare was announced sequel to approval from the Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Findings by our correspondents across the country showed low turnout of intending pilgrims even as many had to suspend the plan with the fear that the fare could exceed N10m.
A highly placed source told our correspondent that only about two states in the North have close to 1000 intending pilgrims who are about completing the payment process.
The source, an official of one of the state Muslim pilgrims’ boards confirmed the low turnout to our correspondent. He however said they are hoping that with the announcement of the actual fare by NAHCON, the turnout would increase in a few days.
A pilgrim who performed the Hajj last year who identified himself as Alhaji Ayuba said the announcement from NAHCON came too late.
Also in Lagos, the turnout of pilgrims has been extremely low as many of them were said to be awaiting the final Hajj fare.
As of yesterday, only about 500 have paid, according to a credible source who confirmed that many people actually collected forms.
Only 200 intending pilgrims for this year’s Hajj have registered with the Taraba State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board even as the state was allocated 1400 seats. Hamza Baba Muri, Public Relations Officer of the State Muslims Pilgrims’ Welfare Board told our correspondent.
Yesterday, a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of Kaduna State, Yunusa Muhammad Abdullahi, disclosed that intending pilgrims for the year 2025 hajj would pay N8, 457,685.59, adding that they are expected to complete payment by 31 January 2025 in order to remit all deposits to NAHCON on time.
Private tour operators under the aegis of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHOUN), say the fare announced is not different from last year’s fare.
National President of AHOUN, Alhaji Nasidi Yahaya, told our correspondent that the fare announced by NAHCON was “a fair deal.”
