The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has blamed the recession and devaluation of naira against major currencies as reasons for the hike in the 2017 hajj fare.
Ibrahim Yusuf, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, made the assertion in Ilorin, Kwara state, at a sensitization workshop.
He said intending pilgrims would have paid about N700,000, if the value of naira had not fallen at the international market.
“The commission has tried its best to reduce the fare, but we have no control over the dollar rate at the forex market,” Yusuf said.
He explained that the fare would have exceeded N2 million, but for the commission’s efforts in negotiating for lower rates directly for accommodation in Makkah and Madinah.
Alhaji Mohamned Tunde-Jimoh, the Executive Secretary, Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, said the board put in place necessary arrangements for the comfort of all intending pilgrims.
He advised intending pilgrims from the state not to carry kolanut and other prohibited items to the Holy Land.
Each of the intending pilgrims from the state paid about N1.5 million as this year’s Hajj fare
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