The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has approved 110 private tour operator-companies for the issuance of the 2024 Hajj licenses and slots allocation.
This followed the screening of the respective companies and certification for the next year’s Hajj operations.
The approved tour operators were certified for 2024 Hajj license after presenting all the necessary documents and paid a refundable security deposit of N25,000,000.
The documents presented include certificate of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission, International Air Transport Association (IATA) certificate, IATA accredited staff and principal officers with no record of criminal conviction(s), evidence of owning N30,000,000 minimum share capital, possession of standard corporate office and evidence of having operated eight years of Umrah successfully or two years of Hajj operations.
A press statement by the assistant director, Public Affairs, NAHCON, Fatima Sanda Usara, said the purpose of the screening was to protect the interest of the registered pilgrims in case of contract violation or other infringements.
The statement added that 155 companies applied for the 2024 Hajj license issuance rights, out of which 58 were initially successful while 97 companies were disqualified but given room for appeal.
Eighty companies appealed, out of which number 52 met the criteria for qualification making a total of 110 private operator companies that qualified.
The commission also stated that it is holding further discussions with the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah over the ministry’s earlier policy to reduce the number of tour operators that would participate in the 2024 Hajj operation from Nigeria and other parts of the world.
