The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has commenced the announcement of the 2017 Hajj fares with a call on relevant bodies to speed up the process of collecting and remitting the fare to the commission.
The announcements were made at the ongoing State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, Agencies and Commissions (SPWB) meeting at NAHCON headquarters in Abuja on the development.
As at the time of going to the press six states of Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa and Yobe have announced their hajj package to be paid by pilgrims.
While Nasarawa pilgrims are to pay N1,544,894.16 for this year’s hajj, Niger pilgrims are expected to pay N1,525,483.30, Kaduna N1,535,503.68, Kano N1,537,859.97, Adamawa N1,530,101.08 and Yobe N1,520,101.18 respectively.
The packages however include $800 general Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) and which has been built into the Hajj fare package at flat rate across the board.
An official of the commission however said the packages are excludes hadaya (sacrificial ram) fees which has been fixed at N38,000 for this year’s exercise.
The SPWB are expected to collect the sums and remit same to the designated accounts of Jaiz Bank Plc which is the appointed bank for the collection of the amounts for the holy rite of Hajj.
Unlike the practice of uniform fares of the past, the commission’s ongoing reform announced by the Chairman of the commission Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammed shows that each of the 36 states of the federation has different fares based on the services to be rendered to pilgrims and local distance millage among other consideration.
He had announced when he visited Media Trust Corporate Headquarters recently that the new policy is in the international practice and also in the interest of pilgrims and operators alike.
He said his leadership is committed to ensuring that Nigerian pilgrims receive the maximum services due to them during the forthcoming Hajj through the initiatives being introduced in all the critical components of Hajj including accommodation, feeding and medical.
Daily Trust reports that the 2016 hajj fares were northern departure zones with minimum fare N998, 248.92 (with $750 Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), medium fare N1, 047, 498.92 (with $1,000 BTA), and maximum fare N1, 145, 998.92 (with $1,500 BTA).
While the southern departure zones minimum fare N1, 008, 197.42 (with $750 BTA), medium fare (with $1,000 BTA) N1, 057, 447.42 while the maximum fare N1, 155, 947.42 (with $1,500 BTA).
