The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has declared that its processing of entry visas for the registered intending pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia has reached an advanced stage.
The chairman of the commission, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, disclosed this in his remark at the first national stakeholders’ summit of Nigeria’s Hajj and Umrah Industry held yesterday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
He said Nigeria’s inaugural flight to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this year’s hajj will take off on May 15, 2024, adding that all the stakeholders are working to provide effective and efficient services to the guests of Allah (pilgrims).
According to him, the various challenges faced by the Nigerian pilgrims this year can only be compensated with effective and efficient service delivery that will engender the renewed hope of Nigerian pilgrims and emergence of Nigeria as the best Hajj mission globally.
He said all the pilgrims from the states will be visiting Madinah Munawarrah for a maximum of four days before Hajj exercise, a major change from the operations of Hajj in the last decade.
“The visa processing has reached an advanced stage and approved carriers are fully ready for airlift of the pilgrims from departure centres. All pilgrims of SPWB/A/C will be visiting Madinah Munawarrah for a maximum of days before Hajj exercise. This is a major change from the operations of Hajj in the last decade.
“The various challenges faced by the Nigerian pilgrims this year can only be compensated with effective and efficient service delivery that will engender the renewed hope of Nigerian pilgrims and emergence of Nigeria as the best Hajj mission globally. A feat that can only be actualized through partnership, collaboration and teamwork on the airlifting, accommodation, transportation, feeding and Mashair activities,” Jelal said.
He said over 65, 000 Nigerian pilgrims would be performing this year’s pilgrimage.
Recall that NAHCON had earlier announced FlyNas, Air Peace and Max Air as the successful airlines to transport the Nigerian pilgrims for the 2024 Hajj.
According to the commission, Air Peace would transport intending pilgrims from: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Imo, Kwara, Ondo and Rivers while FlyNas, a Saudi’s airline, will airlift pilgrims from Borno, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara.
Max Air with the highest allocation of pilgrims, will be responsible for moving pilgrims from Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Oyo, Taraba, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa and Plateau states as well as Armed Forces’ pilgrims to the Holy Land.
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