2023 Hajj: NAHCON To Refund N67,500 To 95,000 Pilgrims Over Subpar Services

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims who participated in the 2023 Hajj exercise will receive a refund of 150 Saudi Riyals (N67,500) each due to inadequate services experienced during the pilgrimage.

The commission’s spokesperson, Fatima Usara, revealed the decision following a Monday meeting attended by NAHCON officials and Private Tour Operators (PTOs). The meeting aimed to inform PTOs of resolutions made under the leadership of Abdullahi Saleh, the acting chairman of NAHCON.

During the meeting, chaired by NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofi Olanrewaju Elegushi, updates from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (MoHU) and recent NAHCON decisions were discussed. “Olanrewaju Elegushi disclosed that all 95,000 Nigerian pilgrims who travelled for Hajj in 2023 from both states and private operators are to receive SR150 each as a refund. According to him, NAHCON has already begun making arrangements to disburse the payments,” Usara stated.

Elegushi also addressed adjustments for the 2025 Hajj, announcing that the number of lead companies for Hajj operations would be reduced from 20 to 10, with each required to register at least 2,000 pilgrims for Hajj visa approval. He further informed that there would be no concessionary exchange rate provided by the government for Hajj fare payments for both state-sponsored and private pilgrims in 2025.

Additionally, Elegushi clarified ongoing financial matters related to the 2024 Hajj, responding to accusations that NAHCON owed PTOs N17billion from the caution fee deposit. He noted, “The commission received N2.75 billion from 110 registered companies for the 2024 Hajj, including N1.25 billion rolled over from the previous year. So far, N750 million has been refunded to 30 companies, with the remaining N750 million pending requests from PTOs yet to decide.”

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In a move to ease future Hajj arrangements, Elegushi announced that the commission would accept bank guarantees in lieu of the N40million caution deposit for the 2025 Hajj, allowing operators who have already paid in cash to request a refund if they choose to provide a bank guarantee instead. The deadline for registration, which includes both cash and bank guarantee deposits, has been extended to October 11.

Addressing pending refunds, Elegushi said that PTOs that camped at Field Office 18 in 2022 are set to receive a collective refund of SR62,600 due to poor feeding conditions during the pilgrimage. He also mentioned that a delegation of NAHCON officers and selected PTO members would visit Saudi Arabia to resolve issues ahead of the 2025 Hajj, such as trapped IBAN deposits and pending refunds.