Lanre Idris Mustapha
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has confirmed that there will be no commissionary rates or government subsidies for the 2025 Hajj.
NAHCON ’s Commissioner for Operations, Anofi Elegushi, announced this during a virtual meeting with Private Tour Operators.
In a statement by the Commission’s spokesperson, Fatima Usara, Elegushi stressed that pilgrims, whether registered through state Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards or private operators, will not benefit from concessionary exchange rates for paying Hajj fares.
“For the 2025 Hajj, the government will not offer any concessionary exchange rate for pilgrims, regardless of whether they register through state boards or private tour operators,” the statement said.
With the current exchange rate exceeding N1,600 to $1, and considering that pilgrims usually pay at least $6,000 each, the cost for the 2025 Hajj could reach as high as N10 million.
This marks a significant change, as the Federal Government had provided a subsidy of N90 billion for the 2024 Hajj, but no such support will be available for 2025.
Addressing other concerns from the Private Tour Operators, Elegushi revealed that the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has reduced the number of private companies allowed to manage the Hajj from 20 to 10. These companies must register at least 2,000 pilgrims to qualify for visa approvals.
In addition, Elegushi confirmed that all Nigerian pilgrims who participated in the 2023 Hajj would receive a refund of 150 Saudi Riyals (SR150).
However, NAHCON is still waiting for information about refunds from the 2022 Hajj. He did note that operators who camped at Field Office 18 during the 2022 Hajj would collectively receive SR62,602 as compensation for poor feeding in the Masha’ir area.
