Soliu Oyesiji.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) will meet today with private Hajj and Umrah tour operators over the status of the controversial 5,000 Hajj slots earlier allocated to, and later retrieved from, the operators.
The meeting is scheduled for 2pm at the Hajj House in Abuja.
Private Hajj and Umrah operators told Hajj Reporters that NAHCON had previously assured them the slots would be restored once additional allocation was secured from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
“As I am talking to you, we don’t know what is happening. They informed us that the slot has been returned, but it is not reflecting on our platform. We are going to meet with NAHCON to know the latest developments, In Sha Allah,” one operator said.
Hajj Reporters reports that NAHCON had announced plans to retrieve the 5,000 slots following pressure from state Muslim pilgrims’ welfare boards seeking to utilise the quota.
The decision followed a meeting between NAHCON officials and licensed tour operators, where the commission disclosed that the slots would be reassigned to state governments. The move drew strong objections from operators, who warned it would lead to heavy financial losses due to payments already made for airline tickets, accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, and other logistics.
NAHCON chairman said the commission had written to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to request an additional 5,000 slots to address the shortfall and ease the concerns raised by tour operators.
