The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has reiterated commitment to increase its revenue generation and improve service delivery.
The chairman of the commission, Alhaji Zilkrullah Kunle Hassan, gave the assurance at the parley with media executives in Abuja, saying the 2022 Hajj exercise was conducted with no kobo drawn from the federation account.
He said the commission is determined to achieve more success and advance Nigeria’s interest in Saudi Arabia, stating that it had deployed relevant endowments to fully domesticate in the Hajj sector the President Muhammadu Buhari’s subscription to Open Government Partnership (OGP).
According to Hassan, NAHCON is on the road to self-sustainability as it is already generating revenue from the service providers – air carriers, shopping malls, tour operators and a host of others.
“We will strive continuously to improve on service delivery to those we have been statutorily mandated to serve. For us, having agreed to serve in this capacity, there is no going back even as we will not be content with half measures. We are committed to excellence for which we have been known. We are determined to hoist Nigeria’s flag higher among others given the diplomatic values of hajj beyond the religious,” Hassan declared.
“Since we assumed the leadership of NAHCON in 2020, the 2022 Hajj, otherwise globally renowned as ‘emergency Hajj’ was our first, no thanks to the calamitous covid-19 pandemic.
“For the fact that Hajj took place this year is a success. It usually requires six months of preparation, but the commission only had to organize this year’s Hajj within a month. This Hajj recorded low mortality
“In spite of the hike in jet fuel price, airlift of pilgrims was done smoothly. There was also a reduction in the cost of accommodation and the number of days spent in the Holy Land,” he added.
He also told the editors presence at the parley that sources of challenges encountered in the 2022 Hajj have been identified with a view to improving on the management of future exercises.
“We are even poised to achieve more as NAHCON staff are now being prepared to take on additional challenges of hajj period passport management hitherto the exclusive preserve of Saudi agencies for some handsome fee.
“The Commission has already begun discussion on the feeding and accommodation of pilgrims as part of early preparation for the next Hajj.
“The 2022 Hajj was conducted without any funds from the federation account and we also intend to increase our revenue generation.
“One other challenge encountered by the commission was delay in early airlift of pilgrims. Another challenge was the visa process which required the pilgrims to have a Saudi account to pay the money into. The payment had to be confirmed over there before one could process the visa here in Nigeria,” he said.
