The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has given Friday 28th April deadline for states Muslim Pilgrims Welfare boards, agencies and commissions to remit 2023 Hajj fare or be excluded.
The Chairman of the Commission, Zikrullah Kunle Hassan issued the deadline during a meeting with states chief executives at NAHCON Headquarters on April 26, 2023.
The meeting was geared towards issues of remittances of Hajj fare by pilgrims in order to finalize on number of eligible enrollees for the 2023 Hajj from Nigeria, a statement by the Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara, said.
According to Hassan, the Commission would gladly work with any amount remitted by Friday deadline and subsequently sign agreements for the 2023 airlift to Saudi Arabia based on that number.
He explained that 50% down payment to the air carriers is expected upon signing of agreement while another 35% would follow after deployment of aircraft for the airlift by the carriers.
The NAHCON highest ranking officer lamented that the remittance had to take this long bearing in mind that all other arrangements depend on the confirmed number of Hajj fare payers before conclusion.
It would be recalled that deadline for Hajj fare remittance had been extended on several occasions since January 2023.
In another development, the Commissioner Planning, Research, Statistics and Library Studies, Prince Sheikh Suleman Momoh has revealed that screening of first batch of medical personnel for the 2023 Hajj will hold tomorrow, Thursday 27th May. Orientation and other ceremonies would follow after confirmation of successful candidates.
