The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON has said that thirty Nigerians died during the just-concluded Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
NAHCON Chairman, Mallam Jalal Arabi, who disclosed this at a post-Hajj press briefing in Abuja, explained that about four victims passed away as a result of the heat wave recorded during the Hajj exercise.
He said the 2024 Hajj experienced one of the harshest weathers that had ever been experienced in the past.
’The NAHCON boss also explained the circumstances that led to President Bola Tinubu’s approval of N90bn subsidy for the pilgrimage exercise on the heels of the increment in Hajj fares that saw pilgrims pay as much as N8m, among other issues with private tour operators.
The financial projection after the foreign exchange liberalisation was that each pilgrim would have to top up about N3.6m in addition to the initial payment. The situation impelled urgent intervention.
He said recognising the gravity of the situation, NAHCON promptly engaged with the Federal Government to mitigate the effects of the high cost of the foreign currency with an appeal for the government to approve a concessionary rate of N850 as exchange rate for the dollar component of the hajj fare.
Arabi said NAHCON devised a distribution strategy that played a crucial role in ensuring that all the stakeholders involved in the 2024 Hajj benefited from the government’s support of N1,637,369.87 from the N90bn except for pilgrims under the Hajj Savings Scheme who enjoyed more.
He however said, new registrants were asked to pay N8,454,464.74, being exempted from the Federal Government’s intervention. It is on record that eligible officials and stakeholders from all tiers of government enjoyed the subsidy from the N90b.
The NAHCON chairman stressed that the Hajj subsidy was transparently utilised and further gave assurances of improving the processes to ensure equitable access to facilities and services for all future pilgrims.
Arabi’s explanation on Monday came weeks after the National Assembly began a probe of the N90bn Hajj subsidy.