JUST-IN: Tinubu Orders Reduction Of 2026 Hajj Fare

Following the directive of President Bola Tinubu for an contiguous reappraisal of the 2026 Hajj fares, Vice President Kashim Shettima has directed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to travel up with caller fares for the workout wrong 2 days.

This, the Vice President said, had go indispensable considering continued appreciation of the naira against the dollar – a superior determinant for the pilgrimage fares.

VP Shettima who handed down the President’s directive connected Monday during a gathering with absorption and committee members of NAHCON astatine the Presidential Villa, called for synergy among nationalist and authorities officials, including authorities Governors, successful streamlining and adopting a caller acceptable of fares for the exercise.

In a connection by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, VP Shettima besides called for punctual enactment by each stakeholders to guarantee speedy payments and timely remittances to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to facilitate a hitch-free exercise.

Fielding questions from journalists soon aft the gathering with the VP, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadeija, said the gathering convened astatine the lawsuit of the Vice President was to finalise preparations for the 2026 Hajj operations, peculiarly the determination of fares for the 2026 exercise.

He explained that the extremity was to trim the magnitude payable by pilgrims for the exercise, fixed the existent inclination successful the system occasioned by ongoing reforms being undertaken by the Tinubu administration.

He said, “Rates person continued to amended steadily, with the naira appreciating based connected the effects of the economical reforms of the government.

“The Vice President felt that if pilgrims paid ₦8.5 cardinal to ₦8.6 cardinal based connected antagonistic speech complaint past year, and the speech complaint has improved, past the changes should bespeak successful the existent fares, and the benefits should besides beryllium passed to the prospective pilgrims.

“So, the Commissions and each officers of the Hajj committee are present and they person been told to instantly spell to look astatine much realistic speech rates. If we execute what we envisage, past we volition person a precise important simplification successful the Hajj.”

On his part, Secretary of NAHCON, Dr Mustapha Mohammad, said the the President’s directive would summation the fig of intending pilgrims for this year’s exercise.

“It is simply a invited improvement and the little the Hajj fare, the amended for Muslim faithful intending to execute Hajj. So, arsenic directed by the Vice President, we volition enactment tirelessly betwixt contiguous and time to spot that we trim it to the bearerest minimum and affordable complaint for each Muslim faithful to person the accidental to execute this precise important pillar of Islam.”

Also, the Chairman, Kebbi State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board and Deputy Chairman, Forum of the Chief Executive of 36 and the FCT Chairmen of pilgrims Board, Alhaji Faruk Aliyu Yaro, expressed delight with the statesmanlike directive.

“We are precise blessed due to the fact that the President and the Vice President person already intervened. We convey God for what they person said, which is expected to bring down the outgo of Hajj fare. So, we are happy,” he said.