The National Hajj Commission Of Nigeria (NAHCON), has approved the Hajj 2023 license and slot allocation to 235 out of 296 Hajj and Umrah Companies that applied to undertake Hajj services.
A document seen by HAJJ REPORTERS dated 20th February 2023 signed by the Assistant Director in the Tour Operators’ Division of the commission, Ahmad Muhammad Shira, shows that 61 companies failed to meet the criteria for licensing and they were therefore given a grace of one week starting from 21st to 28th February to appeal their disqualifications.
Part of the document read; “I am directed to forward the attached lists containing recommended and non-recommended applicants’ companies for the 2023 hajj slot/ license application. Furthermore, the disqualified companies have between the 21st to 28th of February to appeal their disqualification
HAJJ REPORTERS reports that NAHCON had in December placed an advertorial in national dallies urging interested Travel Agencies to apply for the grant of 2023 Hajj license and slot allocation,
Some of the criteria listed in the advertorial showed that the applicant-company must be a Travel Agency duly Registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria (CAC) with a minimum Share Capital of N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira), a standard corporate office, valid IATA agency approval and IATA accredited staff.
“The applicant must have been licensed by the Commission for a period of at least three consecutive years and must have been operating satisfactory Umrah services consecutively to date. Evidence of utilization of the Umrah License must be attached; The applicant, its directors, shareholders, representatives or proxies must have no record of a criminal conviction by any Court of law in Nigeria or Saudi Arabia nor indicted by any of the Nigerian or Saudi Arabian Hajj Agencies, Aviation Authorities or any other Government Regulatory Agency”.
Reasons for the disqualification according to the letter range from lack of mandatory 3 years of umrah experience, debt to NAHCON, Tax clearance and Invalid IATA certificates.
It will be recalled that NAHCON allocated 20, 000 hajj slots for Private Hajj Operator Companies out of 95,000 hajj slots given to Nigeria for the 2023 hajj exercise.
