The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has announced eight million five hundred thousand Naira only (₦8, 500,000) as deposit for the 2025 Hajj exercise.
Hajj became obligatory for every able-bodied Muslim adult who has the financial means to do after Prophet Muhammad’s “farewell pilgrimage” in 632 AD. It takes place during the same time each year, in the sacred month of Dhul Hijjah – the twelfth month in the Islamic Calendar. Hajj begins on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah and lasts approximately five to six days depending on the sighting of the moon. When the new crescent moon is sighted, Muslims around the world welcome in the four-day festival of Eid al-Adha.
In 2022, average Hajj fare prices were set at ₦2.4m Naira with a total of 43,000 pilgrims making the trip and filling the allotted seats after the COVID-19 pandemic, average prices in 2023 rose up to about N2.9m, however, the country filled all allocated 95,000 seats. While in 2023, the Hajj Commission had pegged the fees at ₦4.9m per pilgrim in December when the naira exchanged at ₦897 to the dollar.
Later this year, the cost of Hajj for the year 2024 in Dollars was set at $5,692.25. According to report, on the day the initial press statement was issued, the exchange rate for the Nigerian Naira to the US Dollar stood at ₦1,474.62. It would be recalled that after depositing ₦4.9 million as hajj fares, many potential pilgrims were confronted with uncertainty after NAHCON demanded an additional ₦1.9 million in fees to cover the cost of the exercise due to volatility in the exchange rate. The deadline for the payment of the balance was March 28, 2024.
However, at least ₦100bn ($76m) was earmarked by the Nigerian government to provide subsidies for the 2024 pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The subsidy announcement came following an increment in Hajj fares, largely caused by Nigeria’s forex policy and global financial challenges, reports said. Following the announcement by NAHCON, state governors hurriedly began to fund the shortfalls for the pilgrims in their respective states.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia retains Nigeria’s 95,000 slots for 2025 Hajj. According to the NAHCON, a total number of 51,447 Nigerian pilgrims registered for the 2024 Hajj under the federal government quota of 90,000. The breakdown of the list shows Kaduna State has the highest number of registered pilgrims of 4, 493 while there are no pilgrims on federal quota from the four southern states of Abia, Cross River, Anambra, and Akwa Ibom. The Armed Forces have 365 pilgrims, while Kogi, Bayelsa, and Ebonyi states have the least number of pilgrims 13 each.
Meanwhile, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has explained that the delay in announcing the fare for the 2025 Hajj is due to the need for thorough data collection on the costs pilgrims will be required to cover, reports said. NAHCON’s Commissioner of Policy, Personnel Management, and Finance (PPMF), Prince Aliu Abdulrazaq, clarified that the goal is to avoid the need for subsidies after announcing the fare while speaking at the annual lecture and award ceremony organised by the Independent Hajj Reporters in Abuja.
Abdulrazaq, who is currently managing the commission’s affairs, emphasised NAHCON’s commitment to transparency and vowed to ensure that the 2025 Hajj surpasses previous years in terms of efficiency and organisation. “We are carefully evaluating all components of the Hajj fare to avoid setting a price that would later require additional subsidies. Hajj is a deeply personal and spiritual journey for pilgrims, and it’s important we manage the cost responsibly,” he continued.
Similarly, he urged the government to act promptly and make necessary announcements without further delay. “I assure you that we will thoroughly review all the relevant factors to ensure transparency. If we anticipate any shortcomings, we will invite stakeholders to discuss them,” he said.
FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board began as an agency around 1980, with the sole mandate to organize, coordinate and supervise the smooth and hitch-free annual Muslim Pilgrimage to the holy land of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the FCT residents. The Board is governed by a part-time seven-member Board including the Chairman. The activities of the Board had been decentralized through six (6) FCT Area Councils including the Headquarters. Presently, the Board has five (5) main departments, and additional five (5) units directly reporting to the Director. As at now, the Board has a total staff strength of 68 spread across various cadres and salary grade levels and the Director is the overall Chief Executive as all issues ends at the table of the Director.
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