The Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators of Nigeria (AHUON) held its 2023 Hajj Seminar in Kano, Lagos and Abuja zones on November 1, 7 and 9, respectively. The theme was Hajj 2024: New Challenges, Boundless Opportunities. I am grateful to AHUON for finding me worthy of being the keynote speaker in all three venues of the seminar. That is the right thing to do. Hajj operations are not an academic exercise. They encompass practical matters, field experience and critical thinking skills to provide on-the-spot solutions to operational challenges. That is our job! It is not self-praise. It is Allah’s making. There is a difference between a professor and a professional. We are professionals. Discussing Hajj operation is our prerogative. AHUON must be commended for this choice of one of us to address issues that pertain to us. A professional takes precedence over a professor in Hajj operation discussions and finding a way forward.
I will succinctly recreate the presentations in the three zones since the speeches were delivered without notes. That allowed slight adjustments and fine-tuning of some points according to happenings before the next delivery. For example, the meeting between AHUON, all tour operators and the new Chairman of NAHCON just before the Lagos Zone Hajj Seminar answered many questions raised at the Kano Seminar.
The discussions that followed each presentation broadened my scope and enhanced my understanding of the issues involved. I was speaking to my colleagues in the industry, some of whom know the challenges better than I do. So, I was saying something familiar to these audiences. We were all trying to proffer solutions to current challenges.
KANO
In Kano, the Seminar was held at Ten-to-Ten Restaurant, Alu Avenue, Nasarawa GRA. Attendance was impressive as the organisers invited all stakeholders in the Hajj industry and all government agencies that are connected to travel, security and financial matters were invited. Thus, we had the Airport Commandant (or his representative, if I remember correctly), officers from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Immigration Service and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. This was the only AHUON zone that was more meticulous regarding inviting relevant stakeholders to the Seminar.
LAGOS
The Airport Hotel, Ikeja, was the venue for the Lagos episode of the Seminar in which participants were more punctual than other zones; more businesslike, if you please. The public address system in Lagos was more efficient. Thus, the audibility was superb! I learnt a lot from audience participation during the comments and questions session. Also, Lagos was distinct in gender sensitivity; one of the discussants of my paper was Alaja Mariam Popoola. Only Lagos had a female tour operator on the Hightable. And, please, don’t laugh; I also enjoyed the Amala and mixed soup. Stomach infrastructure!
ABUJA
Abuja is my zone. I hope to be fair in my assessment here. The venue was the Immaculate Diamond Hotel, Wuse 2. As the hotel’s name implies, the venue was clean, tidy and well-arranged, thanks to my Zonal Commander’s and his team’s efforts. Abuja was icing on the cake; the lunch was sumptuous and reminded one of the Saudi cuisine. Of course, NAHCON knew about the zonal Seminars of Kano, Lagos and Abuja. Still, only the Abuja version got NAHCON’s recognition in that the Chairman, Mal Jalal Ahmad Arabi, OON, fwc, was the Special Guest of Honour represented by Alhaji Alidu Shutti, Director, Inspectorate and Compliance.
THE NEW LEADERSHIP
Mal Jalal Ahmad Arabi needs our support and Du’aa in the task ahead. Hajj is not only a religious duty but a pillar of our faith. Whatever contribution we make towards facilitating Hajj for the guests of Allah shall be rewarded. Mal Jalal is leading this process at this juncture in the history of Hajj in Nigeria. NAHCON requires one who can open doors and has access to the Villa for quick response to urgent matters. With his wealth of experience in legal and administrative spheres, Mal Jalal can guarantee exemplary leadership devoid of bureaucratic inertia to general issues affecting tour operators and Hajj operations.
THE REPRESENTATIVE
NAHCON Chairman, as mentioned earlier, was represented by my bosom friend Alhaji Alidu Shutti, Director, Inspectorate and Compliance. Whoever relates with him knows about his tact and careful consideration of whatever he does; Alhaji Shutti is conscientious and amiable. His admonition to me, whenever NAHCON has a new leader (including the current Chairman), has always been, ‘Ustaz, we have to support this man in the leadership of the Commission. Feel free to meet him anytime if you have any suggestions or advice. He needs it.’
May Allah recompense Mr Alidu with His choicest blessings. Allah shall make him grow higher in his career than in his current position.
THE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
NAHCON informed AHUON that the Saudi Hajj authorities will accept only ten companies among the tour operators from Nigeria in Hajj 2024. This means collapsing more than 200 companies into only ten. Or 153 going concerns if we work with the number of companies that met the conditions and deadline stipulated by NAHCON for Hajj 2024. According to our last meeting with the Chairman, the number may increase to more than ten in case the Saudis acquiesce in the plea of the Commission.
The issue of mergers is not a new one in the industry. During the days of Mal Muhammad Musa Bello and Mal Abdullahi Mukhtar, the Commission had worked extensively on mergers.
AHUON is not afraid of mergers. All the zones are currently working and preparing for the inevitable. Once there is a legally binding agreement, you can do business even with Satan. The problem is what form and shape the mergers will take. AHUON understands and clarifies to its members that a merger is not an acquisition where more prominent companies consume smaller ones, and thus, they cease to exist. Despite this, Kano Zone is even looking at a bold option of consolidation where many tour operators may transform into a few mega-companies that will represent the Zone. However, most tour operators would prefer to come together, maintaining their structures and identities under the umbrella of one company, which shall be recognized and registered by NAHCON and responsible for signing all Hajj engagements in Saudi Arabia. The details of how the consortium will be perfected rest with NAHCON, the leadership of AHUON and legal guidelines.
The legal guidelines will address the issue of controlling finance and funding of operations. Hajj services are now paid online. How are payments into the Hajj portal monitored to ascertain what company pays what? We know that no Hajj visa is issued without complete online payment. The lead company recognised by NAHCON should take control of the payment and issuance of visas; otherwise, a company without any monetary commitment may issue visas at the expense of those who have made the payments. Whatever goes wrong either here or in Saudi Arabia, the lead or the umbrella company is responsible, hence the need to exert much control over whatever happens on the Hajj portal.
Every passport detail should be attached to the company that brings it. By this, any visa overstayers (Mutakallifun) will be traceable to the erring company.
In the area of standard of services lies a more significant challenge. Some tour operators have not yet determined what kind of service they desire to offer their pilgrims or what clientele to serve. Many of us are competing with state pilgrims boards and agencies in the standard of Hajj services. Therefore, there is no demarcation between what some of us charge and the Hajj prices of state pilgrims; thus, the services are the same. A tour operator worth his name offers distinct service to pilgrims in line with the Hajj packages, starting from 3 to 5-star arrangements. For the mergers to succeed, tour operators must delineate where they stand in providing service to what clientele. Where the hotels are situated is as crucial as the tents in the Mashaa’ir (A, B, C, or D) and the type of transportation in the entire period of Hajj. Coordination will be complicated among companies with divergent standards of Hajj packages in terms of movement and other logistics. Therefore, before any groupings, NAHCON should interrogate the standard of Hajj services applicable to a given consortium.
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