* NAHCON praises Tinubu’s sacrifices in easing constrains
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said that no fewer than 51,447 Nigerian intending pilgrims under the government quota will perform the 2024 Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Muslim News gathered that the released figure doesn’t, however, include the intending pilgrims of private tour operators who are expected to share 20,000 slots.
In a statement signed by the Commission’s Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara on Friday, Al-Arabi noted that after close of registration, the official number of intending pilgrims that registered for the 2024 Hajj from Nigeria stands at 51,447 under the government quota.
The Chairman therefore commended the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government for playing a leading role in the realisation of the noble objective.
He added that the Commission recognises the numerous sacrifices that the federal government made against all odds towards easing the constrains off its intending pilgrims.
The statement said, “The Commission also commends the patience exhibited by the pilgrims that were caught up in the uncertainties, adding that the concern demonstrated by the Ulamas over the pilgrims’ predicament did not go unnoticed by the Commission.
“Several stakeholders, including state governors, rendered solutions out of the gridlock. Some media houses showed tremendous understanding of the constraints which literarily exposed the reality of the quagmire the 2024 Hajj was confronting.
“Indeed, the 2024 Hajj preparations came with unexpected challenges from which lessons have been learnt. NAHCON has always known that long term planning is the workable strategy that would subdue the challenges that slowed down the year’s Hajj preparations.
Going forward, Al-Arabi said long term planning will be the Commission’s paradigm shift in its pre-Hajj operations, adding that it is a reality that all Hajj stakeholders must key into to avert unforeseen challenges.
Bellow is a breakdown of number of pilgrims that successfully registered for the 2024 Hajj exercise from each state.
S/N State Total number of pilgrims registered
1 Adamawa 1,642
2 Borno 1,780
3 Taraba 950
4 Yobe 1,120
Maid./Yola Sub-total 5,492
5 Bauchi 2,315
6 Benue 87
7 Ekiti 186
8 FCT. 2,491
9 Gombe 1,373
10 Jigawa 1,250
11 Kaduna 4,493
12 Kano 3,057
13 Katsina 2,654
14 Kebbi 3,419
15 Kogi 13
16 Kwara 3,000
17 Nasarawa 1,866
18 Niger 3,201
19 Ondo 491
20 Plateau 1,126
21 Sokoto 3,643
22 Zamfara 1,596
Northern Sub-total 36,261
23 Abia –
24 Akwa-Ibom –
25 Anambra –
26 Bayelsa 13
27 Cross River –
28 Delta 36
29 Ebonyi 13
30 Edo 295
31 Enugu 18
32 Imo 100
33 Lagos 1,861
34 Ogun 925
35 Osun 1,590
36
37 Oyo
Rivers 1,047
47
38 Armed Forces 365
Southern Sub-total 6,310
TOTAL FROM STATES 48,063
39 HSS 1884
40 Others 1,500
GRAND TOTAL 51,447
