By Chilaka Patrick
The federal government of Nigeria has reportedly released a sum of N90 billion to subsidise the 2024 pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
A source within the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) made the revelation, according monitored reports from DailyTrust.
The source, who pleaded not to be named, noted that without this intervention, each of the intending pilgrims would have been requested to add at least N3.5 million to the initial fare which was pegged at N4.9 million.
A top official at the Presidency also confirmed that the federal government “actually provided some financial support for the hajj exercise”.
The NAHCON had fixed a fare of N4.9 million per pilgrim based on the exchange rate of N897 to a dollar.
The commission had quoted the sum of N4,899,000 for southern pilgrims; N4,699,000 for those from the North; while pilgrims from Yola and Maiduguri centres were asked to pay N4,679,000.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its spokesperson, Fatima Usara, said the hajj commission had raised the fare by N1, 918,032.91, jacking up the total amount to N6.8 million.
The commission had also said intending pilgrims had up to Thursday, March 28, 2024, to make payment for the spiritual exercise.
The NAHCON had attributed the latest hike in hajj fare to the foreign exchange crisis which Nigeria has been battling for months.
Meanwhile the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, had approved a subsidy of N500,000 each for intending pilgrims from Kano embarking on the 2024 pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
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