This announcement is pleasing to the ears of hajj stakeholders and 2023 intending hajj pilgrims from Nigeria. It is good news.
However, I am reserving my joy till when the Saudi Ministry of Hajj officially communicated to NAHCON and expressly allocates 95,000 hajj seats to Nigeria for the 2023 hajj. Yes. There is a need for us to be cautiously optimistic because the ghost of 5,000 distributed but unavailable hajj seats during the 2022 hajj and the attendant operational confusion it generates lives in my mind.
Till then, we can begin to plant the 95,000 hajj seeds by allocating 60 per cent of the promised allocation to States Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Boards. More enlightenment on the removal of age barriers is needed because most potential pilgrims still believed in the hajj 2022 policy of 65 years and below.
Other guidelines released for the 2023 Hajj by the Ministry as contained in a release by NAHCON included the removal of the age barrier or limit and cancellation of PCR Tests for the Hajj.
The Ministry has also granted the Commission the Right of choice of package for pilgrims services from the Mutawwiffs of African Non-Arab countries, the company responsible for the Tent, Feeding and Transportation arrangements at the Mashair.
NAHCON should approach this newfound service contractual protocols with strict policies and allows the process to be an all-inclusive approach. States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, Private hajj operators should be part of the team to select the choice packages. The protocols of contracting services offered by mutawwif are fundamental and will go a long in monitoring service delivery, especially within mashair.
Issue of choice of airliners approved by the Commission for the airlift operations and their allocation will limit the delay and fast-track the Hajj 2023 preparation. NAHCON was also tasked on the necessity of of submitting relevant information of departing pilgrims 72 hours prior to their departures.
The Chairman/CEO, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the early preparation and restoring the countrys Hajj allocation. He said that it was heat warming that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the Ministry of Hajj has restored the hope and confidence of many prospective Nigerian pilgrims that desired to perform the Hajj this year.
Prelude to Wednesdays virtual preparatory meeting and as part of 2023 Hajj preparations, The President of the Saudi General Authority of Civil Authority GACA General Abdulaziz A. Duailej, visited Nigeria recently.
The GACA Boss said the Kingdom recognized the importance of early planning and gave hints that the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah have concluded plans to make known all modalities for the 2023 pilgrimage season ahead of time to give participating countries a minimum of five months to prepare. Now that preparations have begun.
May Almighty Allah makes the 2023 hajj a success and may be among those to be counted as 2023 hajj pilgrims Ameen
