30,000 Nigerian Pilgrims Arrive Saudi Arabia – NAHCON

No fewer than 30, 000 Nigerian pilgrims have been transported to Medina, Saudi Arabia, in the first phase of the 2023 Hajj exercise.

Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Chairman, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday by Ms Fatima Sanda-Usara, an Assistant Director, Public Affairs, of NAHCON.

Airlift of Nigerian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for 2023 Hajj entered its 12th day on Tuesday, representing the first phase of the exercise.

Hassan noted that NAHCON had mapped out a 25-day airlift plan to be concluded before closure of Jeddah airport on June 22. 2023.

According to him, NAHCON’s airlift operations are, consequently, ongoing to plan.

He reiterated that NAHCON was committed to providing the best services for its pilgrims at all times.

“To make certain that pilgrims get standard ministries, a team of staff were dispatched to Saudi Arabia in advance.

“This is to ensure that accommodations and catering services arrangements are satisfactory before arrival of the country’s pilgrims.

“Before then, the Commission had screened and selected capable hands in catering services to feed Nigerian pilgrims while in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and secured sufficiently standard accommodations for them.

“In addition to these selections, the Commission put in place such mechanisms for checks and balances that would ensure service providers render the services they were paid for dully without shortchanging the Nigerian pilgrims.

“Among these mechanisms are clearly stated terms and conditions of engagements, signing of agreements to that respect and advance payment for the services,” Hassan said.

He added that this was followed by constant monitoring and supervision by NAHCON staff as well as a complaint portal and open door to receive such complaints where any oversight might have occurred.