The Federal Government has allocated a sum of N90 billion to subsidize the 2024 pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to sources within the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) as revealed to Daily Trust.
An undisclosed source within NAHCON stated that without this intervention, each intending pilgrim would have been required to contribute an additional N3.5 million to the initial fare, which was originally set at N4.9 million. A senior official at the Presidency also confirmed that the government indeed provided financial support for the hajj exercise.
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Last December, NAHCON announced a fare of N4.9 million per pilgrim based on an exchange rate of N897 to a dollar. However, due to the ongoing foreign exchange crisis in Nigeria, the fare was subsequently increased by N1,918,032.91, bringing the total to N6.8 million.
The source from NAHCON attributed this fare hike to the foreign exchange crisis and stated that the commission required N230 billion from the government to offset the fare differentials caused by this crisis. However, only N90 billion was provided, leading to the need for intending pilgrims to cover the remaining amount.
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Additionally, NAHCON has reached out to state governors to subsidize hajj fares for pilgrims in their respective states. Kano State responded by subsidizing the fare by N500,000 per pilgrim.
The subsidy provided by the federal government can only cover 19,000 intending pilgrims by N3.5 million each. However, when spread among 50,000 pilgrims, the subsidy reduces to N1.9 million per pilgrim, with each pilgrim required to contribute the remaining N1.9 million.
A source from the Presidency confirmed the government’s substantial financial support for the hajj exercise, although the exact amount of N90 billion was not explicitly confirmed. The source emphasized that such support is provided without public announcement to avoid appearing biased towards any particular faith.
In summary, the Federal Government’s allocation of N90 billion has significantly subsidized hajj fares for the 2024 pilgrimage, alleviating financial burdens for intending pilgrims amidst economic challenges.
Source: Daily Trust
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