The Chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Arabi, has said every pilgrim that paid for the 2024 Hajj through the government quota was supported with the sum of N 1.36 million due to the instability of the naira.
Speaking during a press conference on Monday, he said that following the depreciation of the nation’s currency occasioned by foreign exchange reform of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), payments earlier made by intending pilgrims became inadequate.
Consequently, he said the commission approached the federal government for assistance to approve a concessionary exchange rate of N850/$1 for intending pilgrims.
He revealed that instead, the president approved a N90 billion intervention to assist the pilgrims and that NAHCON used it to assist the pilgrims.
He said, “By the final deadline of February 12, 2024, the unforeseen spike in foreign exchange rates had totally complicated matters, necessitating fresh adjustment of the year’s Hajj fare from the initial N4.9 million.
“The financial projection after the foreign currency liberalisation was that each pilgrim would have to top up about N3.6 million in addition to the initial payment.
“The situation impelled urgent intervention. Recognising the gravity of the situation, NAHCON promptly engaged with the federal government to mitigate the effects of the high cost of foreign currency with an appeal for the government to approve a concessionary rate of N850 as exchange rate for the dollar component of the Hajj fare.
“We are grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his swift approval of N90billion instead.
“How to spread this N90 billion equitably to such a degree that registered pilgrims would not have to pay additionally to the N4.9 million was tough.
“NAHCON then decided a distribution strategy, which played a crucial role in ensuring that all stakeholders associated with the 2024 Hajj benefitted from the financial stability through this federal government support.
“Each pilgrim was supported with N1.637m from the N90billion except for pilgrims under the Hajj Savings Scheme who enjoyed more.”
Responding to a question on the death of pilgrims during the 2024 Hajj, the chairman said that about 30 Nigerians died but that only three or four died as a result of the reported heat waves.
The NAHCON boss said his team was open to suggestions on how to improve future exercises and that complaints arising from the recent exercise should be forwarded to the Commission, with a promise that no one against whom a case of infraction is established would be let go without due sanctions.