"The federal government granted us a N90 billion subsidy, which we carefully utilised to address the unprecedented increase in Hajj costs."
The Chairman of the National Hajj Commission, Jalal Arabi, has said the commission used the N90 billion subsidy from the federal government to bridge the payment gaps for Hajj fares for pilgrims.
Mr Arabi said this in an interview with DCL Hausa, an online Hausa news platform. PREMIUM TIMES monitored the interview.
In May, the federal government announced the provision of N90 billion subsidy for the 2024 National Hajj operation, a move criticised by many Nigerians who questioned why the government was subsidising a religious activity at a time the country could not adequately fund basic amenities like schools and hospitals.
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the gesture during the inauguration of the 2024 National Hajj operation at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi, the capital of Kebbi State.
Despite the subsidy, some state governors expressed dissatisfaction with NAHCON's management of the Hajj operations, citing inadequate provision of accommodation in Muna and insufficient Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) for pilgrims from states.This raised questions about the commission's utilisation of the funds.
Also, on Thursday, the House of Representatives constituted a committee, chaired by Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), to probe NAHCON's performance during the pilgrimage.
Arabi's response
In the interview, Mr Arabi revealed that the commission used a large part of the N90 billion to bridge the payment gaps for Hajj fares owed by pilgrims.
"The federal government granted us a N90 billion subsidy, which we carefully utilised to address the unprecedented increase in Hajj costs.
"The high dollar exchange rate caused the cost per seat to surge above N9 million, necessitating our intervention to mitigate the burden on pilgrims.
"To address the issue, we convened a meeting with representatives from all states to discuss the matter. We then compiled a list of intending pilgrims who had already paid the approved N8 million.
"Subsequently, we supplemented the remaining N1.6 million for each of the over 50,000 pilgrims to complete the payment, ensuring that their Hajj journey was not disrupted," he said.
The N1.6 million used to supplement the Hajj fares of 50,000 pilgrims would amount to N80 billion, leaving about N10 billion from the money provided by the government. In the interview, Mr Arabi said the remaining funds were prudently used for other logistics but did not provide the breakdown.
He said while the commission exercised prudent financial management, scrutinising every expenditure, it remained steadfast in providing the highest quality services for pilgrims, sparing no effort to ensure their comfort and well-being.
He also highlighted that, unlike other commissions in Nigeria, NAHCON does not receive regular subventions from the federal government, either monthly or annually, to fund its operations.
"Despite not receiving regular subvention from the federal government, either monthly or yearly, apart from salary allocations, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria strives to deliver exceptional services to all, maximising its resources to provide the best possible experience.
"In our first year in the helms of affairs, we made concerted efforts to deliver optimal results, acknowledging that we faced some obstacles. Nevertheless, we have drawn valuable insights from our experiences and are committed to building upon our progress.
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"The commission has already commenced preparations for next year's Hajj, and we are confident that our services will be even more efficient and effective, surpassing the expectations of our esteemed pilgrims.
Mr Arabi commended the federal government for the support, state governments, and all stakeholders who made the exercise successful.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) successfully concluded the airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with the final transport of 312 pilgrims from Kwara State.
A total of 65,000 Nigerian pilgrims performed the sacred ritual in the holy land, while 40 of them died during the exercise.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the amount Mr Arabi said was spent on each pilgrim (N1.6 million) from the subsidy provided by President Tinubu.
