Hajj: Kwara Pilgrims To Pay N8.4m

The Kwara State Pilgrims Welfare Board said the state’s intending pilgrims to the 2025 holy pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia would pay  N8,457,685.59 as pilgrimage fare.

The board has also set January 31, 2025, as the deadline for payment of Hajj fare, warning that no extensions will be granted.

The board’s executive secretary, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam, disclosed these yesterday in a statement signed by the board’s press secretary, Sanni Muhammad.

Abdulsalam said that the 2025 Hajj fares vary across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones due to differences in travel distances to Saudi Arabia, which directly influence aviation fuel costs.

“For comparison, the fare for pilgrims from the Borno and Adamawa zones has been set at N8,327,125.59, while those from the Southern states will pay N8,784,085.59,” he said.

He explained that the disparity in the fares payable by the intending pilgrims from the north and south reflects logistical realities and ensures equitable cost distribution across the country.

On the deadline for paying the Hajj fare, Abdulsalam said, “We must remit the payments to the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on time to meet the deadlines established by the Saudi Hajj Authority.

“Visa processing will begin on February 25, 2025, and any delay in meeting these requirements could jeopardise a pilgrim’s chance to participate.”