By Ibrahim Muhammed
National Cordinator
Independent Hajj Reporters
I have received a lot of inquiries regarding the reason for the differences in the hajj fare announced by the National Hajj Commission NAHCON which makes the Southern state pay more than pilgrims from the South
The major determinant factors in the computations of hajj are the flight tickets, accommodation both in Makkah and Madina and feeding.
However, the air ticket of Southern States costs higher than those flying from the Northern States. This is because tickets of airlines are computed based on proximity and distance. For example, the cost of air ticket from Kano to Abuja is cheaper than the cost of flying from Kano to Lagos.
For example, Flying time from Maiduguri to Jeddah is approximately 4 hours, 12 minutes while from Lagos to Jeddah takes 5h 45m in approximate time.
It is the same reason that makes Borno and Adamawa pay less than pilgrims flying from Zamfara, Jigawa and Kano.
Announcements of Hajj Fare have always been done using categorization by departure zone – Southern and Northern Departure Zones and that is how it has been since the Establishment of NAHCON. It was the Abdullahi Mukhtar lead board that further split the category into three to include those departing from Borno and Adamawa based on their relative proximity to Jeddah and negotiate a lesser air fare for those state.
This brief review is important due to the twists being created by spin doctors with coded headlines saying Southern pilgrims are to pay higher than the Northern pilgrims without any background details.
It will be recalled that NAHCON had announced 2025 Hajj fare with Pilgrims from Borno/Adamawa are is to pay N8,327,125, while Northern Zone is cost at N8,457,685.59 and the Southern Zone hajj fare is put at N8,784,085.59
