In his bid at ensuring a hitch-free 2023 Hajj exercise, the Chairman/CEO of National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) Alhaji Zikrulah Kunle Hassan on the sideline met with the Grand Chief Imam of Makkah, Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz al-Sudais at the on-going International Hajj exhibition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he offered prayers for Muslims all over the world.
Hassan, in company of Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Pilgrimage, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Nalaraba and wife, National Missioner of Nasfat Society, Imam Abdulazeez Onike and Abdur-Rahman Balogun, President of Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) met with the highly revered Imam As-Sudais amidst tight security.
As-Sudais , who was one of the Guest speakers at the Hajj expo symposium, commended the Saudi Arabia authorities in designing programmes and events geared towards improving the hajj service every year.
The highly influential spiritual leader, who is one of the nine Imams of the Grand Mosque, Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, Saudi Arabia; offered prayers for peace to the world and with the delegation from Nigeria.
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Al-Sudais, who doubles as the President of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, emphasised the need for peace and unity in the global community.
Earlier, the NAHCON Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, who spoke in Arabic with Imam As-Sudais, introduced members of the delegation from Nigeria to the renowned scholar and a memoriser of the whole Qur’an as well as the winner of the Dubai International Holy Qur’an Award’s “Islamic Personality Of the Year” in 2005.
Imam As- Sudais, whose unique sonorous recitation of the glorious Qur’an is famous worldwide, then prayed for the Nigerian delegation and other members of the Muslim community globally.
The NAHCON boss also interacted with some Chairmen of Pilgrims Commission from West African sub region as well as some notable Imams and scholars who graced the Hajj expo .
Other highlights of the exhibition include 10 keynote sessions, 13 panels on Hajj talks, 36 workshops, as well as many events and activities associated with promoting a culture of quality in providing Hajj and Umrah services.
Meanwhile, as part of the preparations for 2023 Hajj, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has partnered with the Indonesian Hajj Mission to develop and strengthen the Information technology and financing for enhanced service delivery during this year’s Hajj.
Alh. Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, who led the delegation to the meeting said that ICT and Hajj funding are crucial to the success of any Hajj arrangement and therefore need to be pursued and strengthened.”.
For us to ensure the health and wellbeing of Nigerian Pilgrims, we don’t have alternative but to seek for sustenance of our ICT programs from the world best, in order to ensure better service delivery”.
The meeting held on the sidelines of the ongoing 4-day Hajj and Umrah Expo at the Super Dome Centre in Jeddah in which over 400 participants are in attendance is to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.
Alh Hassan expressed optimism that the partnership arrangement would impact positively on the outcome of 2023 Hajj. He said” I look forward to a robust relationship between our two organisations,which I believe if discharged diligently, will benefit the Nigerian Pilgrims as well as enable us to achieve successful Hajj outings”
In his remarks, the leader of Badan Pengelola Keuangan Haji (BPKH), Fadlul Imansyah, emphasized the crucial place the ICT and funding plays in the success of Hajj and Umrah and advised NAHCON to ensure the digitalisation of it’s operations in the interest of the pilgrims as well as the nation.
He therefore expressed his delight and support for the partnership which he said would help to cement the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The expo also showcased over 400 exhibitors on Hajj and Umrah related matters ranging from the development of services for guests and pilgrims, logistics, transportation, crowd management operations, housing and hospitality services, catering services, facility and service management, safety and health care, and enriching pilgrims’ experiences. The event ended yesterday.
