NAHCON Reiterates Feb. 28th Deadline for Hajj Remittance

By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has reiterated that the deadline for the remittance of a 50% deposit for the 2023 allocation remains February 28th.

Failure to comply with this deadline will result in the affected state(s) forfeiting their allocation or facing a reduction in allocation.

The Commission’s Acting Director of Information and Publications, Mousa Ubandawaki made the disclosure in a statement in Abuja.

Ubandawaki said the remittance to the Commission in the past week has been abysmal and payment to service providers in Saudi Arabia remains the biggest assurance that Nigeria will participate in this year’s Hajj.

To ensure the success of the 2023 Hajj, Ubandawaki noted that it is imperative that the final remittance to the Commission is concluded by February 28th, in order to finalize arrangements on time and prevent any lapses.

NAHCON implores the State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards/Agencies/Commissions (SPWB/A/C) to cooperate and comply with the directive, assuring that the Commission remains committed to ensuring that all intending pilgrims who have paid their fare are registered.

States are urged to respect the agreement on the distribution of Hajj quota on the basis of 60% for government pilgrims and 40% for the Hajj Savings Scheme subscribers.

The Commission is also disturbed about cases of Hajj Savings Scheme subscribers being discouraged or pressurized to withdraw or migrate their deposits from the scheme to the State Board in order to be registered for this year’s Hajj.

The statement, which in part reads, “It should be emphasized that under the 2023 Hajj policy, 40% of intending pilgrims would be from Hajj Savings Scheme, while 60% would be from the government pay-as-you-go scheme.

“NAHCON assures all stakeholders that no stone will be left unturned to ensure the 2023 Hajj arrangements and operations are hitch-free”