Nigerian pilgrims will be airlifted to this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia beginning June 9 from Maiduguri, Borno State.
Fatima Sanda Usara, the spokesperson for the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), stated in a statement on Friday.
She said the commission’s advance team will depart for Saudi Arabia on June 6.
NAHCON has also secured Hajj airlift agreements with three airlines, according to the statement..
Azman Air, Max Air, and Flynas Carriers are the three airlines chosen for the exercise. The commission’s Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, signed the deal with the airlines on Friday.
FlyNas is based in Saudi Arabia while the other two are local airlines, satisfying the airlift quota sharing formular between the host country and other Hajj participating countries.
Seven airlines including Max Air, FlyNas, Azman Air, Med-View Airline, Skypower Express, Westlink Airlines and Arik Air applied for the slots.
After the exercise, those selected ranked the best three whose names were forwarded to the presidency for approval before sealing the contract agreement.
The following states have been assigned to specific airlines: Max Air is to fly pilgrims from 13 states namely-Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and Taraba. Azman Air is entrusted with conveyance of pilgrims from 16 states and the Armed Forces. The states are Kano, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Ogun, Ondo, Rivers, and Yobe. Meanwhile, FlyNas would fly pilgrims from Edo, FCT- Abuja, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara- making eight states.
The Chairman of NAHCON, Zikirullah Hassan, said the date is for adequate preparation for the Nigerians during the period during the signing of the 2022 hajj airlift agreement by appointed hajj air carriers on Friday in Abuja.
The NAHCON Chief Executive Officer congratulated the successful airlines and enjoined them to treat all pilgrims with the VIP treatment which they deserved.
He described the contract signing occasion as the beginning of Hajj operations because there cannot be Hajj without air transportation from Nigeria.
Commissioner Operations, Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji Hardawa, termed the gathering as a watershed moment after nearly three years without Hajj in his statement.
He also congratulated the successful carriers, while directing them to see this as a challenge to do their best. The Commission, he said, had created an aviation monitoring committee saddled with the responsibility of monitoring their performances.
NAHCON Request For Additional Hajj Slots
The NAHCON chairman has also submitted a formal request to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for additional hajj slots.
Out of the 43,008 slots allocated to Nigeria, 71 percent of the 43,008 slots allotted to states’ pilgrims, 21% to Licensed Tour Operators, and 8% to medical officials, security, the aviation industry, and other pilgrims’ assistants.
Hajj Commission Inaugurates Central Security Committee
The Central Security Committee was inaugurated on Thursday by NAHCON Chairman Alhaji Kunle Hassan.
Members of the committee were chosen from National Intelligence Agency, NIA, Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, Office of the Presidency, Department of State Services, DSS, Nigerian Police Force, NPF, National Drug, Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Independent Corrupt, Practices, Commission, ICPC, Nigeria Security and Civil, Defense Corps, NSCDC, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, and Special Services Office (SSO).
