The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Mutawwif Company of African Non Arabs, known as Muassassah, has signed an agreement on services to be provided for this year’s Hajj operation.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, in a statement, said one of the major highlights of the meeting was the commitment by the Muassassah to upgrade the feeding and catering Services at the Mashair at five per cent discount over what was paid in 2022.
Nigeria, he said, will pay less of what it was charged last year.
Alhaji Hassan recalled the ugly experience Nigerian Pilgrims went through during last year’s hajj at the Mashair, which he said should not be repeated.
“Now that this year’s Hajj has begun, we want to know what services to expect at the Mashair to know what to tell our pilgrims at home. We are asking for better services this year and we want it at a reduced price,” he said.
Chairman of Mutawwif Company, Ahmad Sindy, explained that the unfortunate incident of 2022 won’t be repeated.
He said they are more committed to the welfare and well-being of pilgrims through improved facilities and eco-friendly settings that would make pilgrims have good feelings.
“We will also upgrade the quality of food in terms of calories and weight. In addition, we have contracted a well-known nutritionist to ensure that the service delivery is best,” he said.
Meanwhile, the commission has commenced the screening of accommodation and catering service applicants.
The screening was conducted by a Committee headed by Dr Bala Muhammed of the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano, who represents the Jammat Nasril Islam (JNI) on the board of the commission. Other members of the committee include representatives of the state’s boards and private tour operators.
Over a hundred companies submitted applications for the provision of accommodation and catering services in Makkah and Madinah.
The commission also met with the State pilgrims’ welfare boards and private Hajj and Umrah companies to improve service delivery to pilgrims.
The NAHCON boss appealed for the support and cooperation of the stakeholders, stressing that the restoration of the Hajj allocation to the pre-COVID era of 95,000 to Nigeria made it imperative for all to work together in the interest of pilgrims.
“We are happy for the return of our allocation. At the same time, it is a moral burden for us to justify the allocation through an efficient management system and improved service to our pilgrims.
“Therefore, we need to work as a team to achieve these goals. We have to stick together to go through the process,” Alhaji Hassan said.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Abubakar Adamu Bulkachuwa said the timely release of general guidelines and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has removed the undue pressure on the Hajj industry, unlike last year.
“We won’t have any excuse for failure. NAHCON will be put to test. Hopefully, the necessary information has been released by Saudi Arabia, it is now left for us to put our acts together. We expect states to braze up for the exercise.
“The legislature will continue to give maximum support to NAHCON to ensure that this year’s Hajj would be one to be remembered as remarkable for a very long time,” Senator Bulkachuwa said.
The Consul-General of the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah, Ambassador Mansur Abdulkareem, emphasised the importance of pilgrims’ education and enlightenment.
