The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced the final hajj fares for the 2024 season.
This is according to a statement issued yesterday by the commission’s assistant director of public affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara.
Usara said, intending pilgrims from the southern part of the country will pay N4,899,000 as hajj fare, while northern intending pilgrims will pay N4,699,000, and those from the North-Eastern states of Adamawa and Borno will pay N4,679,000.
The intending pilgrims were advised to pay their fares on or before Monday, February 12, 2024, so that the commission could transfer the funds before the deadline.
NAHCON chairman Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi had stated that this year’s fares would not exceed the N4.5 million charged as an initial deposit, and the prospects remained optimistic until the naira fell to a record low against the US dollar on the official market on Tuesday, with FMDQ exchange data slipping below rates on the unofficial parallel market in intraday trades.
Despite efforts to stabilise the exchange rate, he stated that it was necessary to make an adjustment.
According to the statement, Arabi actively negotiated significant discounts with service providers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in January, aiming to reduce costs for prospective pilgrims.