FOR THE RECORD: TEXT OF SPEECH DELIVERED BY ALHAJI ZIKRULLAH KUNLE HASSAN, THE CHAIRMAN/CEO OF NATIONAL HAJJ COMMISSION OF NIGERIA AT THE INDEPENDENT HAJJ REPORTERS’ 2023 HAJJ LECTURE/AWARD HELD AT: THE NATIONAL MOSQUE, ABUJA 21st SEPTEMBER, 2023

FOR THE RECORD: TEXT OF SPEECH DELIVERED BY ALHAJI ZIKRULLAH KUNLE HASSAN, THE CHAIRMAN/CEO OF NATIONAL HAJJ COMMISSION OF NIGERIA AT THE INDEPENDENT HAJJ REPORTERS’ 2023 HAJJ LECTURE/AWARD HELD AT: THE NATIONAL MOSQUE, ABUJA 21st SEPTEMBER, 2023

Assalamu Alaykum wa rahmatullah wa barakaatuhu

Permit me to humbly recognize the established protocol.

Indeed, it gives me a great sense of honour and appreciation to

welcome the Hajj and Umrah family to this occasion of HAJJ LECTURE

AND AWARDS organized by the Independent Hajj Reporters.

Permit me

also to commend this organization for their dedication and contributions in

promoting healthy competition and creating public awareness in hajj and

Umrah operations in Nigeria. May Almighty Allah reward you all. Ameen

2. As your Chief Host, I welcome you all to this event and I pray Almighty

Allah to return you safely to your various destinations, Ameen.

3. This event is very important to NAHCON as the apex Hajj and Umrah

regulatory body in Nigeria since it affords us an additional ground to interact

with various stakeholders within Hajj and Umrah institutions in Nigeria.

NAHCON under my leadership will continue to associate and partner with

individuals or groups to harness a realistic way of achieving an agreeable

concept of ‘successful hajj’.

I am happy to inform you that NAHCON has kick-started the journey to

the 2024 Hajj. Hajj slots have been distributed to States’ Muslim Pilgrims

Welfare Boards and Agencies. A minimum Hajj fare deposit has been

announced which is 4.5million Naira, we have conducted an in-house

review of the 2023 hajj with the objective of finding a lasting solution to the

challenges experienced during the previous pilgrimage before next one.

Again, only this Tuesday 19th of September precisely, we held a crucial

meeting with Saudi Arabian Hajj representatives with whom we are working

on a comprehensive blueprint for the 2024 hajj. The outcome was a

success.

5. As part of our resolve to ensure the highest quality of services for our

pilgrims in the next hajj, NAHCON under my leadership has set up an inter[1]

institutional committee to search for a new Mutawifs Services Company that

will superintend better service delivery to our pilgrims during the coming hajj

season. The Committee which comprises one (1) representative from the

Presidency, three (3) members from NAHCON, two (2) from the States

Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards as well as two (2) representatives from the

Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) will come up

with alternative options ahead of the 2024 hajj exercise.

6. NAHCON is leaving nothing to chance in ensuring that we consolidate

on the successes achieved during the 2023 hajj and harness every

opportunity that will make the 2024 hajj a memorable one for our pilgrims

Insha Allah.

7. Ladies and Gentlemen, NAHCON has officially requested refunds from

the Muasasah Company that provided services to Nigerian pilgrims in Muna

this year, and the outcome of our request will be communicated to our dear

pilgrims soon.

8. Let it be on record that despite the unforeseen challenges encountered

during the previous hajj airlift operations, NAHCON with support from

States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards successfully airlifted 73, 782 States

pilgrims in 181 flight operations in the outbound journey. In the second

phase of the operation, 72, 658 States pilgrims were airlifted back home via

183 flight operations within 28 days. I am pleased to inform this gathering

that no single pilgrim with a valid visa was left behind in Nigeria and

NAHCON was able to assist Private Hajj and Umrah Operators when it

mattered most. In summary, 95, 000 Nigerian registered pilgrims were

successfully airlifted to Saudi Arabia for 2023 hajj.

9. This is a great achievement if we consider that Nigeria’s allocation

during the 2022 hajj was 50 percent of that of the 2023 hajj.

10. Let me use this medium to call on intending pilgrims to the 2024 hajj to

hasten in paying up their hajj fare balances when the time is due. This is

because visa processing will end earlier than previously done in line with

the host country’s new schedule. Indeed, visa processing will end

approximately 50 days before Arafat to allow the Kingdom to plan for the

ultimate number of registered pilgrims ahead of time.

11. Besides, I must warn, all intending pilgrims should be prepared to pay

for hajj at the cost of the prevailing foreign exchange rate of the time. We all

are aware that federal government has allowed the Naira to float freely for

its value to be determined by market realities. This means Nigerian pilgrims

to Hajj should be prepared to pay for the Hajj fare without government’s

intervention or granting of concessionary exchange rate.

12. Brothers and Sisters, without taking much of your precious time, we

hope that this event will enrich our knowledge, serve as a pillar of

motivation to Hajj administrators to compete for better services to pilgrims,

bridge the gap between Media, pilgrims and Hajj administrators to

understand the applicable meaning of hitch-free hajj and help us in

redefining the benchmark for measuring success during Hajj.

13. Once again, I congratulate organizers of this great lecture and wish us

all fruitful deliberations. My prayer does not end there, I pray that each one

of us in our various capacities will implement useful outcomes of the

deliberations. We in NAHCON welcome positive discourse at all times. I

also congratulate the recipients of today’s award and pray that others too

will follow suit in striving to be among the best in the service of our

esteemed hujjaj.

I thank you for listening.