EXCLUSIVE: How Nigeria Spent Over N441Billion On 2024 Hajj Amid Claims Of Poor Welfare, Feeding Of Pilgrims

The 2024 hajj programme has been the subject of controversy in Nigeria. 

 

The most recent controversy centres around poor welfare and poor treatment of pilgrims despite paying as much as N8 million for the 2024 hajj exercise.

 

The pilgrims recently noted that they were served pap and three portions of beancake as the meal.

 

They also lamented the poor accommodation provided for them in Saudi Arabia. 

 

The fee paid for hajj is expected to cover accommodation, hotel, transportation (land and air) and feeding, findings by SaharaReportersshow. 

 

The pilgrims are also expected to get a basic travel allowance upon arriving in Saudi Arabia.

 

The larger controversy around 2024 hajj started when it was reported that the Nigerian government decided to subsidise hajj with the sum of N90 billion.

 

Vice President Kashim Shettima was quoted to have stated this during the inaugural lift for the 2024 pilgrimage on May 18th. According to statements credited to him, the government took the decision to support the operations with N90 billion, given the economic situation of the country. 

 

This development led to criticism from different quarters and anger from Nigerians.

 

More recently, pilgrims lamented the quality of food they were served despite paying N8 million for the 2024 Hajj activities.

 

The amount paid by pilgrims in 2024, is about three times the cost of the 2023 hajj in naira value. 

 

In 2023, the cost of the pilgrimage stood at N2.9 million, with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria blaming the dollar to naira rate for the increased cost of the operation in 2024. 

 

According to data gotten from NAHCON by SaharaReporters, the official exchange rate used in 2023 stood at N456/ dollar, putting the hajj fee at US$6,401.31 per pilgrim.

 

The exchange rate for 2024 stood at N1,474 per dollar, meaning that hajj cost per pilgrim stood at US$5692.25. That is over $700 less than that of 2023, in dollar terms.

 

In this report, SaharaReporters delves into the expenditure around 2024 Hajj and brings exclusive findings.

 

On March 24, 2024, the National Hajj Commission announced pilgrims who had earlier paid N4.9 million were expected to add N1.918 million, bringing the sum of money they were expected to pay to N6.8 million. It blamed the increase on the differential in the dollar to naira rate from N897 to N1474 between December 31, 2023 and March 24, 2024.

 

According to data released by NAHCON, as of the time of the report that mandated an extra payment of N1.9 million by pilgrims, 48,011 persons across 33 states had paid N4.9 million.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The NAHCON further stated that it was ready to make a refund of money for those who may be unable to proceed with the trip due to the new additions.

 

It was further noted that anyone who wished to register after March 24, would pay over N8 million, broken into N8.2 million for pilgrims from Northern Nigeria and N8.4 million for those from the southern region of the country.

 

 

741 Intended Pilgrims Unable To Make Trip To Saudi Arabia After Nahcon Hike In Fare 

 

Further analysis by SaharaReporters from data obtained from NAHCON shows that at the end of the registration for the pilgrimage, 51,447 persons registered. 

 

However, the number fell short by 741 persons as these number of persons were unable to continue the registration process after the hike in price for the spiritual exercise, per NAHCON data reviewed by SaharaReporters.

 

 

 

 

 

States like Kwara recorded a drop in pilgrims by 100 persons, Adamawa recorded 125 persons pulling out of the trip, 10 persons could not make the trip from Jigawa, and 163 persons were unable to travel from Kaduna.

 

Other states like Delta recorded four; Yobe, 70, Taraba, 50 and Plateau, 219 persons unable to make the trip after the hike in price by NAHCON.

 

In total, 741 intended pilgrims could not make this year’s trip to Saudi Arabia after NAHCON increased the hajj fee.

 

Aside From N90 Billion ‘Subsidy’, Cost For 51,447 Pilgrims Is At Least N349.839 Billion

 

Given that the information available as of the time of this report did not provide data on the pilgrims who paid N6.8 million or those who paid N8.2 million, we know that everyone who went onpilgrimage for 2024 from Nigeria, paid at least N6.8 million.

 

Aside from the N90 billion incurred by the federal government, the total cost for the 51,447 pilgrims who went on pilgrimage is put at at least N349.839 billion.

 

The figure is more, given that some persons paid well over N8 million, but for the sake of this report, we pegged the calculation at N6.8 million per pilgrim.

 

Per media reports, if the federal government did not provide N90 billion, pilgrims who registered as of March 24, would have needed to add N3.5 million to the earlier N4.9 million deposited as against the N1.9million they were asked to, meaning that the pilgrimage fee would have cost N8.3 million in total.

 

With the NAHCON announcing that it used an exchange rate of N1474 to a dollar to arrive at the figure, it would mean that the 2024 hajj per person cost around $5630 per pilgrim, $700 less than the 2023 figure ($6300).

 

The devaluation of the naira however meant further depletion of Nigeria’s currency to service the shortfall.

 

Billions Of Naira Rain For 2024 Hajj Pilgrimage

 

SaharaReporters analysis puts further context to the hajj 2024 expenditure of the country.

 

When NAHCON announced a hike in the hajj fee, some states doled out funds to “reduce the burden on the intending pilgrims”. States mostly made funds available for those who had registered as of March 24, 2024.

 

Kano state, for instance, subsidised hajj with N500,000 for each intending pilgrim. As of the time the announcement was made, the state had 2,906 intending pilgrims, meaning it coughed upN1.453 billion.

 

Bauchi state also announced that it had approved the sum of N2.19 billion for 2,290 intending pilgrims.

 

JIgawa state subsidised the hajj fee with N1 million each for 1,260 pilgrims, totalling N1.2 billion. Kebbi state also spent N1 million on each of the 3344 pilgrims, totalling N3.3 billion expended on pilgrimage by the state.

 

Gombe spent N636.5 million for 1273 pilgrims at N500,000 each. Yobe subsidised with N1.290 million for its 1290 pilgrims registered, at N1 million for each pilgrim. Kogi was quoted to have subsidised hajj with N800 million.

 

Despite these expenses, there have been reports of poor welfare by pilgrims, ranging from food to accommodation. 

 

There have also been controversies surroundingthe basic transport allowance (BTA ) meant to be received by pilgrims.

 

 

States have incurred expenses to augment the basic travel allowance of pilgrims. 

 

This occurred after what was termed a “shortfall in basic travel allowance provision” due to ‘disparities in dollar to naira’ exchange rate.

 

Kano approved N376 million for basic travel allowance, Sokoto state approved 1000 Saudi Riyals for each Pilgrim, meaning that each pilgrim got N355,000, putting the cost for 3563 pilgrims at N1.2 billion. 

 

Ogun incurred N119.5 million. The Bauchi state government in addition to its earlier expenditures for 2024 gave pilgrims $100 and promised another 100 Riyals in Saudi Arabia.

 

$100 using the CBN exchange rate of 1530 on May 16, when the announcement was made equals N153,000 for each of the 2682 pilgrims, while they will receive another N40,800 (100 riyals) each in Saudi Arabia. 

 

In total, Bauchi state spent an additional N533.1 million for Hajj 2024.

 

Hajj 2024 Gulps At Least N441.2 Billion

 

With the Hajj total expenditure for each pilgrim pegged at N6.8 million for the sake of this report, and with a total of N349.8 billion for 51447 persons, added to the N90 billion expenditure by the federal government and another N2.2 billion by ten states for gifts and basic transport allowance, pilgrims have continued to lament poor welfare.

 

Addition of N349.8 billion, N90 billion and N2.2 billion totals N441 billion.

 

When SaharaReporters reached out to NAHCON, an assistant director of public affairs at the commission, Fatima Sandra Usara, noted that feeding is expected to cost 35 Riyals daily, at 17.5 Riyals per meal (N6835.5 per meal)

 

The pilgrims are entitled to “water, fruit, fruit juice, standard sized protein, sometimes 2-4 pieces of meat or chicken divided into four parts”.

 

They are also entitled to feeding to the tune of SR20 at the airport (N7812). 

 

Madina accommodation costs SR850 (N332,010), while for those staying in Makkah, it costs SR3000 (N1,171,800).

 

NAHCON noted that it used the official exchange rate for Riyal as of March 23, 2024. 

 

SaharaReporters’ findings put the exchange rate at N390.60 to one riyal on this day.

 

NAHCON also denied that it was responsible for the shortfall in the basic travel allowance. 

 

According to a statement published on its website and signed by Fatima Sandra Usara, an assistant director, public affairs at the commission, when NAHCON paid BTA, the exchange rate was N1,252 to a dollar, and the sum of N626,000 was paid to represent $500. The commission however blamed banks for issuing BTA at market rate.

 

It went further to say that while the commission is responsible for feeding and accommodation in Madina, state boards are responsible for accommodation and feeding in Makkah while NAHCON plays a supervisory role. 

 

In the conversation with SaharaReporters, the commission did not however deny that it waspossible that the food did not meet up to taste, saying that “it can reject and refund pilgrimsmoney” in case of such occurrences.