By Abubakar Inuwa Tata
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and the pilgrimage to Makkah that every adult Muslim must make at least once in his or her lifetime. It is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and of supporting their family during their absence from home.
Though Hajj is not obligatory on anyone without a means to perform it, but the fare is becoming too high for an average Nigerian Muslim at N4.8 million per person, and the new fare of N8.23 million and N8.45 million per person which was attributed to depreciating exchange rate of the naira is outrageous and capable of denying average Nigerian from performing this important religious ritual.
While the Commission has called for intervention by state and wealthy individuals to support intending pilgrims from their state, but that is just an ad hoc solution. We need to think creatively and introduce some innovative ways that can significantly reduce the cost of Hajj if the current Management of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and State Pilgrim Welfare Boards (SPWB) are open to suggestions on innovative ways of conducting the Hajj operations instead of the traditional decade-long process and procedures.
A review of Hajj fare around the world indicated a range of between USD3,990 and UDD20,000 for the least and luxury packages in developing and advanced economies. The cost of Hajj pilgrimage also varies based on several factors, including the package you choose (in a fully deregulated economy), the duration of your stay, and the level of comfort you desire, distance to Makkah, distance to Haram, etc. However, the new registration fare for 2024 Hajj per person is nowN8.4 million (about USD5,735.73 if we use the exchange rate of N1,474.00 provided in NAHCON in its news release on March 24, 2024). The new Hajj fare is likely to exclude many Muslims from performing pilgrimage if the fares keep changing based on the vagaries of demand and supply for foreign exchange in which Nigeria has no control over due to long term structural rigidities that has to do with production, distribution, and exchange.
In view of the foregoing, I wish to recommend some innovative ways of bringing down the cost of Hajj fares in Nigeria. This recommendation can be accepted, modified, or rejected by those in charge of this noble cause. But allowing it the traditional way to exclude million of Muslims, when indeed, there are better ways of allowing all intending pilgrims to perform this important religious ritual is going to be retrogressive and a big hurdle that not all intending pilgrims can cross.
It is a well-known fact that hajj fares vary widely across Africa with some countries charging lower than Nigeria and others higher. This is understandable due to absence of state intervention like NAHCON or SPWB, as private tour agencies play significant role during Hajj operations. In Nigeria, where we have state control, there is a uniform Hajj fare for all intending pilgrims who want to leverage on federal and state government apparatus which only differs slight due to regional peculiarities (North and South).
Considering all the aforementioned issues regarding the cost element of performing pilgrimage, I wish to suggest that the process of Hajj operation be deregulated, and private actors be allowed to compete in the industry without restriction. To this end, I wish to put on the following proposal to NAHCON for consideration.
- *Hajj package should not be one size fit all. We should have packages for one week, two weeks, three weeks and four weeks depending on the need of pilgrims. *
- We should have ordinary package and luxury package based on affordability and give Nigerian Muslim the opportunity to choose based on the package they can afford.
- *We should also have packages with the option of Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) and without PTA to add flexibility according to one’s spending needs. *
- We should also have packages with zero steps (high cost) to Haram and those with kilometres to Haram (lower cost); and
- *We can also have a hybrid of the above options for rational choice. *
If we can change the way we do things from traditional way of performing Hajj (nearly 40 days) to a conventional way (between one week and three weeks) the cost element in Hajj operation will reduce significantly. Besides, Hajj begins on the eighth day of the Dhul al-Hijjah and ends on the 13th day of Dhul al-Hijjah which effectively translates into five days.
Therefore, a Hajj package for two (2) weeks will allow intending Pilgrims to spend a week in Medinah and a week in Makkah. This would enable a pilgrims perform both Hajj and Umrah within the two weeks period and hence recommended for consideration by the NAHCON. This will go along way in reducing cost of hotel accommodation, feeding, and other associated costs.
The bottom line is if a pilgrim can perform Hajj in five days, why would he pay a whooping sum of over N8.0 million for a month? If pilgrim can perform Hajj and Umrah in two weeks, why will he/she pays for nearly 40 days instead of 14 days? Nigerian Muslims need a better deal according to their ability in this period where many Muslims are finding it difficult to meet their basic needs.
It would be a historic moment for NAHCON leadership to accept changes that can assist numerous Muslim ummah hoping to fulfil this important religious rite. As a reformer, am conversant with the dilemma the leadership of NAHCON may likely to face – satisfying few or appeasing Allah and seeking for his bounties in this world and hereafter.
Abubakar Inuwa Tata
A Reformer and Public Financial Management Specialist.
