The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), has announced that airlift of intending pilgrims for 2019 hajj will begin on Wednesday, July 10, starting with pilgrims from Katsina state.
The Chairman of NAHCON, Barrister Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad, who spoke yesterday, June 25, at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the National Mosque in Abuja, said that visa procurement will be technology driven unlike others in the past.
He said that states across the federation can carry out their own process online, and that no corrections or substitution can be made with the new development.
“Now, there is no need to take passports to the embassy or consulate in Kano.”
The chairman advised all the operators that would be in charge of the exercise to be very careful when handling the various processes involved.
Mukhtar hammad appealed to the officials to continue to give orientation to the pilgrims so that the money spent by intending pilgrims on the process is not wasted.
“It makes no point for one to spend N1.4 million and doesn’t know how to perform Hajj.”
NAHCON had earlier announced the reduction of hajj fares to pilgrims for the 2019 hajj exercise.
In a statement, the head of public affairs of the commission, Fatima Sanda Usara, said the fares reduction was possible because of the re-classification of land transportation routes, adding that the price review led to the reduction of 620 Saudi Riyals ($165) against what was earlier announced for 2019 hajj by various states, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and armed forces.
