The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) under the leadership of Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan has sent a high level delegation to Saudi Arabia over the additional slots request for the 2022 Hajj operations.
Already, NAHCON Commissioner for Operations Abdullahi Hardawa, has met with the Saudi Arabian deputy minister for Hajj and Umrah on the matter on Sunday.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Hardawa said that the 5,000 additional slots requested has been transmitted to the highest decision making body of the kingdom.
“I am in Saudi Arabia specifically to speak about this additional slots which we had requested for earlier before the start of the Hajj 2022 operations.
“I immediately went straight to Riyadh where I met our Ambassador who told me of the efforts he had also been making on the issue.
“However, they have assured Nigeria that the request will be granted since we had written formally to them about it. It’s only a matter time that we are concerned with.
“We need to get the slots so that it will be useful to the tour operators and other intending pilgrims that are waiting for it plus other stakeholders in various States of the Federation.
“We did not envisage additional slots because of the time the Saudi authorities approved that Hajj will be conducted this year and also because of the cost of the Hajj,” he told NAN.
He said his visit was to expedite the action and ensure that it benefits tour operators in particular and Nigerians in general waiting to fulfil the religious obligations this year.
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