By Akeem Alao Babatunde
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director of Hajj Mabrur Ventures Limited (HMVL), Alhaji AbdulHameed Solate has unveiled a comprehensive plan for a spiritually enriching and hassle-free 2025 Hajj for Nigerian pilgrims.
Speaking with Muslim News on Wednesday, April 23, on the progress of preparations by Hajj Mabrur for the 2025 Hajj, Alhaji Solate disclosed that visa issuance for the company’s pilgrims is at completion stage.
“The preparation is ongoing. The stage we are now is to conclude the visa issuance for our pilgrims. It’s going to be completed soon,” he stated.
The CEO of Nigeria’s leading Hajj and Umrah operator assured that flight arrangements have also been finalized.
“We have perfected the issue of flight! Once our visas are issued, we get all our tickets for visas issued as well.”
To ensure spiritual readiness and physical well-being of pilgrims, HMVL has scheduled its regular pre-Hajj seminars and medical screening to kick off in the first week of May.
“Medical screenings will be conducted on May 2nd and 3rd in Lagos and Abuja. This will be followed by a main seminar on May 4 in Lagos and May 10 in Abuja.
Reinforcing HMVL’s commitment to excellence, Alhaji Solate emphasized the company’s dedication to providing both spiritual and quality hospitality services.
“For us at Hajj Mabrur, we have our eyes on quality services and that’s why when you look at our slogan, you will see ‘simply hospitality, truly spirituality’. As an intending pilgrim, when you perform hajj with us, you have that hospitality and spirituality at its peak.”
“We will keep doing this because the principle here for us at Hajj Mabrur family is that of continuous improvement.”
To ensure efficiency, HMVL is partnering with Al-Hujaaj International Hajj and Umrah Service as the lead company for the 2025 Hajj.
Hajj Mabrur, a Hajj agency based in Lagos, has also introduced digital innovations for better communication and seamless coordination.
“We have so many things in stock for our pilgrims. Our activities will be digitalized and carried out seamlessly. We are going to make information easily available for our pilgrims at every point of need.”
Alhaji Solate said that the company will be using scheduled flights this year to ensure comfort, clarity of travel schedules, and high service standards.
“Considering the standard of people travelling with us and the standard we have set for ourselves over the years, we’ll be using regular flight instead of chartered flight.”
While chartered flights offer shorter duration, Alhaji Solate believes the predictability and service quality of scheduled flights better suit the needs of HMVL’s clientele.
Addressing concerns from past experiences with Tent A in Mina, Alhaji Solate called for clearer guidelines from NAHCON.
“To avoid what happened last year concerning the issue of tent, we are expecting a clear guidance from NAHCON.”
He advised NAHCON to begin visa bookings early and maintain clear communication as a way of improving Hajj operations.
“The major thing to do is to start booking their visa as early as possible and their communication should be effective, so if there is changes, they will know how to approach it and find a way out.”
Recounting the origin of Hajj Mabrur, Alhaji Solate explained that it was founded by The Muslim Congress (TMC) to set the pace and address the neglect and mismanagement Nigerian pilgrims often faced in hands of the operators
“We looked at the way people perform Hajj, the way they were being dumped when they get to Saudi Arabia… That was the idea that brought us up exactly in 2001.”
“The Prophet (SAW) said if you see something that is not going well; change it with your hands… That was what brought Hajj Mabrur Ventures into existence and that’s the essence of the name, Hajj Mabrur.”
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