The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government will no longer subsidise hajj payments for pilgrims starting in 2025, marking the end of the long-standing concessionary exchange rate offered by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This development is expected to drive hajj fares up significantly, potentially reaching N10 million per pilgrim.
Previously, the subsidy allowed pilgrims to access U.S. dollars at a reduced rate, easing the financial burden of the pilgrimage

However, with the naira currently valued at N1,650 to a dollar and the standard hajj fare at approximately $6,000, the cost for each pilgrim could rise to N10 million if the exchange rate holds

In a statement released by NAHCON spokesperson Fatima Sanda Usara, the commission confirmed that for the 2025 hajj, "There will be no concessionary exchange rate from the government for Hajj fare payment for pilgrims whether under state or private Hajj operators."
While NAHCON has yet to announce the official hajj fare for 2025, several state pilgrim welfare boards have already begun advising intending pilgrims to make initial deposits of N8.5 million in anticipation of the price increase.

Meanwhile, NAHCON has also announced a refund of 64,682 Nigerian pilgrims who participated in the 2023 hajj, amounting to 150 Saudi Riyal each. This revelation was made during a virtual meeting between NAHCON and the Private Tour Operators (PTOs), chaired by NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofi Olanrewaju Elegushi.

In further developments, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reduced the number of approved PTOs from 20 to 10, and each company is now required to register a minimum of 2,000 pilgrims to secure hajj visas.

The Commissioner of Operations informed PTO members that NAHCON's Executive Council has approved the option of using a bank guarantee to fulfill the N40 million caution deposit requirement for the 2025 Hajj.

Operators who have already made a cash deposit but prefer to use a bank guarantee are invited to request a refund of their earlier cash deposit and submit the bank guarantee instead.

He further clarified that contrary to claims that NAHCON owes PTOs N17 billion from the N25 million caution deposit for the 2024 Hajj, the commission only received N2.75 billion from 110 companies that registered for the 2024 Hajj.

This amount included a rollover of N1.25 billion from the previous year. Of this, 30 companies requested refunds totaling N750 million, which has already been paid.

However, the remaining N750 million is still held by the commission for undecided PTOs.

https://saharareporters.com/2024/10/08/nigerians-may-pay-n10million-hajj-tinubu-government-ends-subsidy-2025-pilgrimage

I support this 100%.

Instead of overspending on lunacy like "religious" pilgrimages which only enrich the economies of the countries which host the pilgrims, spend that money on educating the top 1% of the most intelligent young Nigerians with high IQs in elite educational institutions abroad like the Masachussettes Institute of Technology, Havard, Oxford, Yale, Princeton, Cambridge etc, abroad to gather relevant knowledge on science and technology. Let them bring back their knowledge to Nigeria as a way of reversing the brain drain.

Let us make the growth of "STEM" (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) our Number One priority when it comes to developing this nation.

You can make these young Nigerians sign a bond that they will return to Nigeria after their education and the penalty for breaking that bond will be extradition and imprisonment for fraud.

Set goals for these high achieving intellectuals on how to find lasting solutions to the developmental challenges facing Nigeria and encourage them with high financial rewards.

Turn Nigeria into a 100% meritocracy where your merit matters more than where you were born and who your father is. Eradicate the federal character system and watch Nigeria thrive.

This is a good development. The subsidy on hajj has been a source of corruption and the decision to end it will go a long way in reducing the cost of hajj and making it more accessible to the average Muslim. This decision will also help to promote transparency and accountability in the hajj process.

May God bless Nigeria for ever!

With the hajj our problem is still increasing everyday

Muslims should be prepared to pay N10 million for Hajj as the subsidy by the FG has been removed.

very good, enriching Saudi Arabia in the name of religion. Kudos BAT for the chesting

ledias:
With the hajj our problem is still increasing everyday

How would your problem automatically vanish when Muslims stop going for their Hajj??

In a bid to sound political, most of you just churn out many fallacious statement as if there arent any intellectuals on this forum at all


God Bless PBAT....anybody wey wan go see Mohamed , make he use hin savings go do that one

They worked hard to impose this grand calamity on all of us. They shouldn't be shielded from the net effects of his gross ineptitude throughany sort of "subsidy". If hajj is 50 million a head, they should all pay that from their "muslim-muslim" pockets!

Tinubu cannot end subsidy for hajj unless he wants to lose northern votes

CyrusVI:


How would your problem automatically vanish when Muslims stop going for their Hajj??

In a bid to sound political, most of you just churn out many fallacious statement as if there arent any intellectuals on this forum at all


God Bless PBAT....anybody wey wan go see Mohamed , make he use hin savings go do that one

The 80 billion for hajj this year, if invested on agriculture by the government genuinely and sold the crop at a far cheaper rate, it will reduced hardship. At least each state will get 2b and the minister of agriculture will coordinate it with staff of the ministry across all state and FCT. They shouldn't allow governors to be incharge cos it will fail.

Very gud move.How can we say we don't hav money to subsidize fuel for d country bt be subsizing Pilgrimage to dash saudi n Israel dem dollars thatwe dont hav .
Pilgrimage is not by force its for d rich,let drich that can afford it go n d poor one remain n pray from naija.

I Love Bola Ahmed Tinubu

MadPolitician:
They worked hard to impose this grand calamity on all of us. They shouldn't be shielded from the net effects of his gross ineptitude throughany sort of "subsidy". If hajj is 50 million a head, they should all pay that from their "muslim-muslim" pockets!

Wetin this one dey talk? Well, na Nairaland I blame. Anybody can open an account.

Very good development...what has Hajj done for Nigeria's economy?

Hajj is a religious issue which government shouldn't have any business with.

It's not a must to go for Hajj if you can't afford it.

Nigerians have been going for pilgrimage for decades yet nothing changes most especially from the politicians

Hajj is not a yearly thing now

MadPolitician:
They worked hard to impose this grand calamity on all of us. They shouldn't be shielded from the net effects of his gross ineptitude throughany sort of "subsidy". If hajj is 50 million a head, they should all pay that from their "muslim-muslim" pockets!

Bitter politics can't take you anywhere.

Check both past and present bitter politics, what have you people achieved with it?

helinues:
Hajj is a religious issue which government shouldn't have any business with.

It's not a must to go for Hajj if you can't afford it.

Nigerians have been going for pilgrimage for decades yet nothing changes most especially from the politicians

Majority of them used stollen money to buy tickets if I lie make them come use quran swear only very few of them have clean money. Any money you didn't work hard for or no services offered is a stollen money.

slimfit1:


Majority of them used stollen money to buy tickets if I lie make them come use quran swear only very few of them have clean money. Any money you didn't work hard for or no services offered is a stollen money.

That could be true. Cos wondering why people would be wasting money just to go and throw stones at an imaginary devil in Saudi Arabia when the real devils affecting Nigerians (politicians) are yet to be stoned

Bleep government sponsorship of this shitty religious pilgrimage of a thing. Let the monies be used for something more productive to this nation.

Good one from FG

Host country don't even send pilgrimage coming from the third world countries

Tinubu is a man of principle.

He won't just do things because it's the norm, he will analyze and take the right decision even if it means being unpopular.

God bless you Mr President.

God bless Tinubu for this👏

This is what any sensible govt will do.

How can u stop subsidizing things that improves the welfare of the citizens only to subsidize stupid religious activity that doesn't have any economic value, except going there to stone Satan


Gullible moróns

Beautiful!

Muslim Muslim ticket showing Muslim Peper!!

Religious pilgrimage is a private matter and not a fundamental human right anyone who can afford it and think it is usefull should pay for it. The money should be diverted to primary education or primary health care funding

It's good Tinubu himself is a Muslim, it won't be as if he hate anybody for such move.

Though the move will still be criticize by some people but if we look at it very well, it should not be the duty of Government to be shouldering religious financial burden with our scare resources.

National resources needs to be progressively channel.

Holy Moses

Bishop Tulumbu disguised as Sheikh Tinubu is doing the Lord's werk on topheadslammingcretins who wan go throw stones at Satan...in mecca

By 2030.....when una hear Muslim Muslim ticket na run 🏃‍♀️ 😢 for your life...

So why do we need the haji commission anymore?

Let people arrange their haji with private travel agencies

Send the haji commission staffs to agencies that need staffs for heavens sake

For me if I was president anyone going for religious pilgrimage would pay a Tax of 5 million

While applauding this bold decision, Tinubu must as a matter of policy and sincerity, avoid and control the frivolous spending of public funds by the various government functionary.

Good decision.