Chairman of the National Hajj Commission, Jalal Alabi, said the 90 billion naira grant from the Federal Government was used to cover shortfalls in the payment of Hajj fees by pilgrims.
Alabi said this in an interview with Hausa language online news platform DCL Hausa and covered by PREMIUM TIMES.
In May, the Federal Government announced a 90 billion naira subsidy for the 2024 nationwide Hajj operation, which drew criticism from many Nigerians who questioned why the government would subsidise a religious activity at a time when it could not adequately fund basic amenities such as schools and hospitals.
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the action at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Nationwide Hajj Operation at the Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital.
Despite the subsidy, some state governors expressed dissatisfaction with NAHCON’s management of Hajj activities, citing inadequate provision of accommodation in Muna and inadequate Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) for pilgrims from their states.

This has raised questions regarding the use of the committee’s funds.
Also, the House of Representatives on Thursday set up a committee chaired by Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) to investigate NAHCON activities during the pilgrimage.
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Arabi’s reaction
In the interview, Alabi disclosed that the committee had allocated most of the N90 billion towards the payment of Hajj fees payable by pilgrims.
“The Federal Government gave us a grant of N90 billion, which we utilised judiciously to address the unprecedented increase in Hajj expenses.
“The strong dollar exchange rate has caused the cost per seat to skyrocket to over N9 million, necessitating our intervention to ease the burden on pilgrims.

“To address this issue, we convened a meeting with representatives from all states to discuss the issue and we subsequently compiled a list of would-be pilgrims who have already paid the approved eight million naira.
“We have since topped up the remaining 1.6 million naira each for over 50,000 pilgrims to complete the payment and ensure that their Hajj journey is not disrupted,” he said.
The 1.6 million naira used to cover fares for 50,000 Hajj pilgrims will bring the total to 80 billion naira, leaving about 10 billion naira in government funding. In an interview, Alabi said the remaining funds were being prudently used for other logistics, but did not provide a breakdown.
He said the committee is prudent in its financial management, scrutinising every expenditure, and is adamant on providing the best quality of service to the pilgrims and will leave no stone unturned to ensure their comfort and wellbeing.
He also stressed that unlike other commissions in Nigeria, NAHCON does not receive regular monthly or annual grants from the Federal Government to fund its operations.
“The Nigerian National Hajj Commission, despite not receiving any regular monthly or annual grant from the Federal Government apart from salary allocation, strives to maximize resources and provide excellent service to all in order to deliver the best possible experience.
“In our first year leading this operation, we acknowledge that we have faced some obstacles but made a concerted effort to deliver the best possible results. Nevertheless, we are committed to drawing valuable insights from our experience and building on our progress.”
“The committee has already started preparations for next year’s Hajj and we are confident that our services will be even more efficient and effective, exceeding the expectations of our esteemed pilgrims.”
Alabi commended the Federal and State governments and all stakeholders for their support in making the endeavour a success.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Tuesday successfully completed an airlift of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia, ultimately transporting 312 pilgrims from Kwara State.
A total of 65,000 Nigerian pilgrims performed sacred rites at the holy site, of which 40 died during the ceremonies.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the amount Alabi said was spent per pilgrim from the grant given to him by President Tinubu (1.6 million naira).
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