The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has stated that the Federal Government will not subsidise Hajj payment for pilgrims in 2025.
A statement by the Commission’s spokesperson, Fatima Sanda Usara, said for the 2025 Hajj, There will be no concessionary exchange rate from the Government for Hajj fare payment for pilgrims whether under State or private Hajj operators.
This means that if the naira maintains its current rate of N1,650 to a dollar, each intending pilgrim will pay almost N10million for Hajj fare as pilgrims pay at least $6,000.
This development is expected to drive hajj fares up significantly, potentially reaching N10 million per pilgrim.
Previously, the subsidy allowed pilgrims to access U.S. dollars at a reduced rate, easing the financial burden of the pilgrimage.
While NAHCON is yet to announce the hajj fare for the 2025 Hajj, States Pilgrims Welfare Board have begun asking intending pilgrims to pay N8.5m as initial deposit pending the announcement of the Hajj fare.
The statement also announced the refund of N64,682 (150 Saudi Riyal) to every Nigerian pilgrim that participated in the 2023 Hajj, adding that the revelations were made during an interactive meeting between NAHCON and members of Private Tour Operators in Nigeria (PTOs).
NAHCONs Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofi Olanrewaju Elegushi, chaired the virtual meeting with the PTOs, where he relayed new developments from both Saudi Arabias Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MoHU) and NAHCONs decisions resulting from the second EXCO meeting with the new Head of the Commission.
Elegushi also stated that Saudi Arabia had further reduced the number of PTO to 10 from 20 that was initially announced, and each company must register a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims to be considered for Hajj visa approval.
Meanwhile, NAHCON has also announced a refund of 64,682 Nigerian pilgrims who participated in the 2023 Hajj, amounting to 150 Saudi Riyal each. This revelation was made during a virtual meeting between NAHCON and the Private Tour Operators (PTOs), chaired by NAHCONs Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofi Olanrewaju Elegushi.
In further developments, the Commissioner of Operations informed PTO members that NAHCON’s Executive Council has approved the option of using a bank guarantee to fulfill the N40 million caution deposit requirement for the 2025 Hajj.
Operators who have already made a cash deposit but prefer to use a bank guarantee are invited to request a refund of their earlier cash deposit and submit the bank guarantee instead.
