By Ibrahim Muhammed
I have been following the pre-hajj preparations of other participating countries to try to understand the parameters they deployed in complying with the calendar of events released by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for this year’s hajj. The objective was to compare and contrast their level of readiness with Nigeria.
Today, countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Iran, Bangladesh, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco have gone past the pilgrims’ registration cycle. At the same time, Bangladesh and Indonesia have announced their 2025 Hajj cost with associated new policies.
On 23rd October, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj began allocating Tent Spaces to Hajj countries. In the last 4 years, 80 to 70 percent of challenges have come from services in Masha’ir areas– The 5 Hajj days that are the D days of Hajj. While other countries have comprehended the mathematics of hajj services, Nigeria is yet to understand the formula of that mathematics which is early preparations and timely payment for hajj services.
Admittedly, the frequent changes of leadership in NAHCON and at the States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards have created a negative reaction in the Hajj administration, leading to diminishing returns on the quality of decision-making and implementation. Instability and politicisation of the Hajj industry are manifesting in the operational activities, with innocent pilgrims being at the receiving end.
Regrettably, 2025 Hajj preparations are currently operating behind schedule because of the failure to implement critical aspects of the 2025 Hajj calendar on time. For example, the commencement of Hajj fare remittance by States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards should have begun on the 2nd of October 2024. Opening of application and screening of Air Carriers/Cargo companies for Hajj 2025 is expected to start on the 17th of September 2024 and by the 25th of September, a list of successful Air Carriers and Cargo Companies should have been dispatched to the office of the President’s for Approval.
Going by the 2025 Hajj calendar, the Transfer of the Combined Bank Guarantee to the NAHCON Saudi account and the transfer of 20% of the Total sum of Contracts to the NAHCON Saudi Account for onward transmission to E-Track IBAN was scheduled for the 21st of October 2024 – None of the above critical tasks has been executed.
While some states in Nigeria are yet to announce the commencement of pilgrim registrations, the hajj committee of India has signalled the beginning of the end of its 2025 hajj registrations. Not only has the India Hajj committee commenced registrations rather they have set a deadline for registrations.
For example, the Hajj Committee of India (HCoI) extended the last date for submission of online application forms for Hajj-2025 till September 30, 2024, for the second time and they have issued the last extension to Nov 30th
On the 26th of August, The Bangladesh Ministry of Religious Affairs announced that preliminary registration for Hajj 2025 will begin on September 1 and continue until November 30. South African Hajj and Umrah Council have begun recruitment of Medical and adhoc operational staff for the 2025 Hajj. In a press statement South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC said it has invited interested applicants to apply to be part of the SAHUC team of Hajj field workers, Medical Mission workers and administrators for the coming Hajj season 1446AH/2025.
The 2025 Hajj registration in Qatar ends on the 22nd of October citing Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Hajj calendar timeline. Director of the Department of Hajj and Umrah at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) in Qatar Ali bin Sultan Al Misifri, explained that the decision to start and end the registration early was to allow Hajj companies to finalize their arrangements well in advance, enhancing the services offered to pilgrims.
More importantly, The Ministry of Hajj restated its stand to end all the 2025 pre-hajj contracts on schedule. In the document tagged “Hajj 2025 Preparatory Overview, Ministry of Hajj listed monitoring pilgrims’ arrangements, analyzing previous hajj season feedback, and preparing for Hajj mission contracting as key focus areas.
In Nigeria, the pilgrim’s registration is witnessing extremely poor response and something needs to be activated to address this challenge. When the going gets tough, the tough should innovate, be creative, and think outside the usual bounds. We cannot continue doing the same things and expect fifteen different results.
When the issue of a 3-tier BTA became messy with internal round-tripping, Former NAHCON Chairman Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammad introduced a flat $800 BTA to replace the 500, 750, and 1000 BTAs and that innovative approach solved that issue.
In the past, Nigerian hajj officials were being camped at TENT A, far away from where the pilgrims were staying in CAMP C or D. On assuming office, Barr Abdullahi Mukhtar Muhammed cancelled the VIP Tent for hajj officials and relocated all hajj officials to the same TENT where pilgrims are stationed. That is doing the unusual to solve a usual challenge. Allah Sarki!, The same ‘Tent A’ that has now become the subject of scarcity for VIP.
During the 2024 hajj, Bangladesh couldn’t utilize 60 per cent of their quota due to the economic crisis. This year, Bangladesh has initiated three different policies, they announced two different hajj packages based on the distance of accommodations in Makkah – the closer to haram the higher the price. Pakistan has initiate 3 installment payment model to allow its middle-income earners registered for hajj,
NAHCON Chairman needs to focus more on 2025 hajj preparations because the success or otherwise of the next hajj operations will be the yardstick to measure his competence or capacity to head the apex hajj regulatory body in Nigeria. He should work with state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards to assess the impact of the N8.4-million-naira deposit benchmark on intending pilgrims and check the rate of response. His visits ought to be directed to local critical operational stakeholders before Saudi-based stakeholders.
Failure of yesterday may repeat itself if we toe the same path because what happened in 1992 when certain leaders arrogate to themselves the knowledge of knowing it all and administer only what is favourable to him and his close allies will repeat itself in 2025 if the same precept is applied. Hajj administration or management is about service to guests of AL Rahma. Introducing politics, nepotism, and outright clientelistic approaches in leadership positions at the National and state levels can only lead us to more failure as we seem to be witnessing in the industry.
Muhammed is the National Coordinator, Independent Hajj Reporters, writes from Abuja
08037024356
