The immediate past Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (MAHCON), Barr. Abdullahi Muhammad Mukhtar has calls for support and empowerment of private hajj and Umrah industries
The former NAHCON Chairman had earlier predicted on BBC hausa service that the possibility of allowing international pilgrims to this year hajj is slim and also said ruled out total cancellation of hajj this year.
Barr Abdullahi stated this when he spoke with the BBC while currently undergoing PhD program at a UK, Bolton University, with title; The Prospects, Opportunities and Challenges Facing Global Hajj Management.
Speaking on the Hausa service of BBC on Saturday, Mukhtar said the private hajj companies need to be supported and empowered if they are to survive the current challenges posed by Covid 19 economic meltdown worldwide.
He also enumerated how Hajj could be expanded and diversified as the case is with Tabung Hajj of Malaysia through the Hajj Savings Scheme, adding that, that would bring a win-win situation for the entire Hajj value chain.
He however stated that this is achievable only through increasing the knowledge on how Hajj is conducted.
Regarding the benefits his study research will promote, he stated that “this will give Africa the chance to contest with the global Hajj stakeholders like Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan.
Throughout his 26 year experience, he has looked forward to Hajj industry becoming not only self-sufficient but will boost the economy of their countries.
He noted that Hajj expansion could be done through conducting Halal businesses on Shari’ah compliant products where the Pilgrims will get proceeds, maintaining that Hajj officials will enhance their performance by becoming more productive.
“Hajj organisations in public and private sectors will become independent of governments’ grants or subvention and with no recourse to increasing Hajj fare. In fact the government will benefit from the prospects of the Hajj proceeds. This is why the bedrock of the study is Islamic Finance,” he said.
