2024 Hajj: Low Turnout Worries NAHCON, Threatens Preparations
Strong indications have emerged that Nigerians may not fully utilise the 95,000 seats allocated to the country for the 2024 Hajj due to the current economic realities.
This is as the clock ticks ahead of December 31, 2023 deadline fixed by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the remittance of hajj deposits paid by intending pilgrims through the States’ Pilgrims Welfare Boards.
The Commission explained that the payment deadline is to meant ensure proper documentation and calculation on the number of people expected to participate in the exercise.
It also indicated that having appropriate data remains an integral part in the process of negotiations and engagement NAHCON will have with service providers in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
But with less than 48 hours to the deadline, insiders hinted that the high cost involved in performing the Hajj as well as early closure in terms of payment have resulted in the low turnout of intending pilgrims.
While NAHCON has not officially commented on the possibility of deadline extension, competent sources disclosed that less than 25,000 pilgrims have so far paid the expected deposit for the religious exercise.
On different occasions, NAHCON had announced that the new policy by Saudi Arabian authorities has now made it difficult to undertake payment of hajj fares just a few weeks before the commencement of Arafat as was the case in the past.
The development is as a result of the short available to complete all negotiations with service providers in the kingdom even as the issuance of visa ends 50 days to the Arafat day.
The Commission had initially set November deadline for the payment, explaining that the decision was meant to easily harvest “a more realistic figure to bargain for cost of accommodation, airline fares, feeding and others knowing the number of persons that were able to reach the N4.5 million threshold by the time of preparatory meetings.”
Furthermore, the Commission was expected to complete payment for accommodation and holy sites contracts by February 2024 to enable commencement of visa issuance by March 3 till April 29, 2024.
For now, NAHCON sources disclosed the low number of intending pilgrims is not unconnected with the 67 per cent increase in the fare as well as the fact that most of the pilgrims are sponsored by individuals and companies who organise quizzes during Ramadan.
Also, available information indicate that efforts at filling the available hajj slots may have been further stalled by late consideration given to private tour operators as 20,000 seats allocated to the 40 companies were only issued out on Monday, December 25, 2023.
The sources said this development ultimately delayed the respective companies’ preparations because the earlier suspension of the approved companies by NAHCON was attributed to the grievances by those not selected.
Meanwhile, reports by Daily Trust also showed that hajj fare has risen by over 682 percent in the last 10 years due to the economic headwind that has touched the hajj industry with 99 per cent of payment made in dollars.
Over the years, the minimum hajj fare has been in the tune of $6,000, and given the Naira volatility, Nigerian pilgrims have had to pay more for the religious exercise.
Before the government’s unification of the forex window, Nigerian pilgrims were able to access dollars at a concessionary rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s official prices
But with such facility no longer available, NAHCON requested each pilgrim to make an initial N4.5 million deposit pending the final announcement on the approved fare.
It is noteworthy to mention that a 10- year analysis of the Hajj cost implications showed it has risen by over 600 per cent between 2013 and 2023.
The breakdown indicates that the hajj fare which cost about N639,498 in 2013, rose to N689,061 in 2014; N723,76 in 2015; N905,556 in 2016; and N1,155,947 in 2017; N1,492,867.50 in 2019 and N1.5 million in 2020.
In 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented international pilgrims from participating in the hajj. But by 2022, the cost increased to N2, 496,815.
This year, 2023, the cost implication was N3 million and the price may increase to about N5 million or N5.1 million going by the current exchange rate per dollar at either the official or parallel market. – Additional report from Daily Trust