The Nationwide Hajj Fee of Nigeria, NAHCON has mounted the ultimate fare costs for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage train.
The fee had earlier in October, pegged the preliminary fare deposit at N4.5m, noting that the mounted quantity was “in tandem with the greenback charge that may decide the ultimate value of the approaching Hajj”, and that the quantity would give the fee a extra real looking determine in bargaining for the price of lodging, airline fares, feeding, and different requirements.
Nonetheless, in a press release signed by NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Fatima Usara, on Saturday, the Fee stated it had made efforts to keep up the fares at N4.5m, however needed to make changes due to “the current instability within the greenback change charge.”
Usara added that whereas the Chairman of the fee, Jalal Arabi, had negotiated costs with service suppliers in Saudi Arabia, the foreign money scenario up to now week necessitated the changes, stating that the fares would have reached as much as N6 million in any other case.
“It might be recalled that the Chairman of the Nationwide Hajj Fee of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi had initially aimed to keep up the 2024 Hajj fare at N4.5 million that was charged as an preliminary deposit. The prospects had remained excessive till the well-known Naira crash that occurred mid-week.
“Regrettably, the current instability within the greenback change charge compelled a obligatory adjustment regardless of commendable efforts by NAHCON Chairman, Jalal Ahmad Arabi to keep up the price of the yr’s Hajj on the stated charge.
“Arabi had actively negotiated substantial reductions with service suppliers within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in late January, striving to alleviate prices for intending pilgrims. Nonetheless, the risky foreign money scenario throughout the week necessitated the Fee to take a drastic resolution to consolidate the positive aspects achieved in reducing the price of providers for the Hajj, with out which the worth of the 2024 Muslim pilgrimage may need shot to about N6,000,000,” the assertion partly learn.
Consequently, the fee has now pegged fares for intending pilgrims from Nigeria’s Southern centre at N4,899,000; these from the Northern centre pays N4,699,000; whereas pilgrims from Yola and Maiduguri centres pays a price of N4,679,000 for the 2024 Hajj train.
Intending pilgrims have now been suggested to pay or steadiness their Hajj fares by Monday, February 12 2024, to allow the fee to switch the funds earlier than the approaching deadline.