IHR
The chairman of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikirillah Kunle Hassan has assured that all intending pilgrims from Nigeria will be administered with the Covid-19 vaccine if authorities in Saudi Arabia approves the conduct of Hajj 2021 and makes vaccine a condition for participation.
Alhaji Hassan gave the assurance Friday in response to a question while addressing a press conference to mark the one year anniversary of the 5th board of NAHCON under his leadership.
“We have been developing interactions with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19, we have been working together. We have been assured that once Hajj 2021 is certain, vaccines will be made available to us,” he said.
The NAHCON chairman also dispelled apprehension over whether there will be enough vaccines available for pilgrims.
He said Nigeria has already concluded plans to acquire 16 million vaccines soon adding “the entire pilgrims from the country may not be more than 100,000”.
Alhaji Hassan also said the commission has no intention to compel every pilgrim to take the vaccine. He however, added that if the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia makes Covid-19 vaccine is a condition to participate in Hajj, NAHCON will have no option that to comply.
He said any pilgrim who declines to take the vaccine may therefore, have to forfeit his Hajj for as long as the condition is in place.
More to come later.
