Nigerian Pilgrims, Others Face Bed Space, Tent Shortage

As the temperature in Islamic holiest city of Makkah fluctuates between 48 and 42 on daily basis, Nigerian pilgrims and others from across the globe in this year’s Hajj are groaning over tent shortage and bed space in Muna where they will spend the next five days of their spiritual pilgrimage.

Over two million pilgrims partaking part in this year’s hajj were moved in batches to Muna, a suburb of Makkah on Sunday night and early hours of yesterday before moving to the Plain of Arafat this Tuesday morning where they will spend the day and then move to Muzdalifah in the evening immediately after the sunset to the night before returning to Muna on Wednesday’s morning for a three days symbolic stoning of evil at the Jamarat.

However, at the time of filing this report, thousands of pilgrims, including Nigerians, were seen languishing under the scorching sun due to inadequate tents and bed space in Muna.

The executive secretary of the board, Saad Hassan Adamu, described the situation as terrible and appealed to Saudi Arabia’s agency, Muassasah and National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to allocate more tents to Gombe State’s pilgrims.

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“As we are talking, I’m thinking of how the small space we have will contain our pilgrims. Even last year when we came with 1,700 pilgrims, we had problems accommodating the pilgrims within the space that was given to us and that is why I’m appealing to NAHCON or Muassasah to increase our tents,” Adamu said.

Meanwhile, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), whose staff and adhoc officials were not spared of groaning under the hot weather over the non-availability of bed spaces, said the challenges being faced by the pilgrims at the Muna is being addressed.

The commission in a statement by the deputy director of information and publication, Alhaji Mousa Ubandanwaki, said it anticipated that the 2023 Hajj being the first post-COVID full quota allocation, certain challenges like shortage of adequate tent space would arise in Muna and prepared to overcome the difficulties.

“Regrettably, the primary issue currently faced by our pilgrims is the shortage of tent spaces. Rest assured, we have already taken proactive steps to tackle this matter, prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of all Nigerian pilgrims.

“For the Mina outing, we initially planned 95,000 slots. As of 7:30am today, all states had completed their first phase of the movement to Muna except Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Borno, some tour operators and the South Eastern States only for the pilgrims to be met with shortage of tent spaces.

“Despite this, owing to insufficient planning by the Mu’assasah, there was a downturn in tent space deliveries. This unforeseen situation has been compounded by some pilgrims occupying multiple slots that could have been utilized by others, thereby exacerbating the shortage.

“We would like to assure all pilgrims that we are fully committed to resolving this situation swiftly and effectively. Our teams are working round the clock to provide the necessary support and additional resources to ensure the comfort and security of every Nigerian to alleviate our pilgrims’ inconveniences.

“We empathise with the concerns and emotions that may arise due to this unfortunate situation. Therefore, we appeal to all pilgrims to remain calm, prayerful, and dedicated to the purpose of their presence at the Hajj in its entirety.

“We are actively engaging with relevant stakeholders, including the Mu’assasah and other parties involved, to rectify the situation promptly. Our primary focus remains the wellbeing of our pilgrims, and we assure you that every effort is made to ensure a comfortable and fulfilling Hajj experience.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank all our pilgrims for their patience and understanding. We stand united with you on this journey of faith and are committed to providing the necessary support throughout this Hajj season,” the statement reads in part.