By Mariam Zubair Abubakar
Since the commencement of the 2024 Hajj operation, the Airlift of the Nigerian pilgrims has been tremendous, the NAHCON Madinah team is doing an excellent job in ensuring the comfort and satisfaction of Nigerian pilgrims during their Hajj journey. From the reception team to the passport committee, accommodation committee, feeding team, medical team, and media team, everyone is working tirelessly to provide the best services possible.
The smooth airlift operation, efficient passport control, and well-organized feeding arrangements are just some examples of the team’s dedication and professionalism. With their commitment to excellence, Nigerian pilgrims can be rest assured that they are in good hands throughout their Hajj experience.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigerian team are doing well, receiving Nigerian pilgrims in Madinah, being the first point of visit, doing their best to ensure that the Pilgrims get the best of services they deserve.
Even though, it has been hectic but none has relented in performing their duties to ensure that the Nigerian pilgrims are comfortable.
During one of the meetings with the National Media Team that arrived in Madinah, the Head Media team in Madinah, Hajiya Suwaiba Ahmed, welcomed the journalists to the holy city of Madina and encouraged them to do their jobs and other activities well, emphasizing that they should always have a balanced report.
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Meanwhile, during an interview with the Madinah Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Mahmud, he stated that NAHCON is expected to coordinate all activities in Madinah to ensure that pilgrims get value for money and therefore pledged the best of services to pilgrims because that is what we are deployed to do. He mentioned that the NAHCON advance team on arrival had visited all necessary offices and inspected all Accommodations and kitchens to make sure that the service providers give pilgrims the best of services while in Madinah and to notify them of their arrival as Nigerian delegates to commenced operation.
Therefore, since the 2024 Hajj airlift, about 23,089 pilgrims have arrived in Madinah on 55 flights in just thirteen (13) days, and about 17,027 Pilgrims are presently in Makkah. which has shown that the airlift so far, is smooth and steady.
The Head of the accommodation team, Alhaji Jimoh Adekunle, stated that the Nigerian Pilgrims are pleased with their accommodations and are thankful to NAHCON for providing them with an accommodation that is nearby to the masjid.
With regards to the job of the Madinah passport office, it ensures that, after the clearance of the pilgrims at the Airports by the National Reception Team (NRT), all passports are collected at the point of boarding their buses to their accommodations for safe and proper keeping to avert absconding and to control the pilgrim’s movement in the kingdom. ADILLAH in Madinah, while MUASSASA in Makkah are the custodians of all the pilgrim’s passports. Presently the Saudi government and representatives of other countries jointly manage their pilgrims’ passports.
Before this, selected staff were trained on the process that is technology-based, while the human aspect of it, is 50%, as stated by the Head of the Passport Management team Alhaji Yusuf Isa.
However, while the Media team was on an inspection tour to some of the kitchens, they pledged to serve healthy and qualitative meals to over 60,000 Nigerian Pilgrims. The approved kitchens in Madinah are; Al-Andalus kitchen, Africana Home restaurant, Zawar al-mukhtara, and Amjad al-Gharra as confirmed by Alhaji Yusuf Kana, secretary of the feeding Committee.
The Madinah field office have been working tirelessly connecting missing persons and their groups or relatives, moving around the Haram to make sure there are no missing pilgrims from Nigeria, and to make sure the pilgrims do not fall into problems while in the holy land, as stated by the head Hajiya Aisha Umar Magaji.
While the Nigerian Pilgrims commenced their journey to Makkah from Madinah, the Makkah team was all ready to receive them, accommodating them in one of the 3-4-star Hotels that was reserved for the comfort of the Nigerian Pilgrims while waiting for the Hajj ritual to commence. Their feeding, and all other necessary arrangements including medicals are in place.
Ensuring that Pilgrims get value for money as it is NAHCON’s greatest concern.
