From Abdul Ardo
The Official number of intending pilgrims that registered to perform this year’s pilgrimage to Makka and Madina from Nigeria at the close of registration by the National Hajj Commission stands at 51,447 under the government quota.
A statement issued by Fatima Sanda Usara Assistant Director public affairs says
the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) recognizes the numerous sacrifices that the Federal Government made against all odds towards easing the constrains off its intending pilgrims.
The statement further says credit should go Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration for the role played in order to realize this noble objective, while at the same time commending the patience exhibited by the pilgrims that were caught up in the uncertainties and also the concern demonstrated by the Ulamas over the pilgrims’ predicament did not go unnoticed by the Commission while several stakeholders, including State Governors, rendered solutions out of the gridlock.
Some media houses showed tremendous understanding of the constraints which literarily exposed the reality of the quaqmire the 2024 Hajj was confronting.
Indeed, 2024 Hajj preparations came with unexpected challenges from which lessons have been learnt.
NAHCON has always known that long term planning has been the workable strategy that would have subdued the challenges that slowed down the year’s Hajj preparations.
Going forward, long term planning will be the Commission’s paradigm shift in its pre-Hajj operations. It is a reality that all Hajj stakeholders must queue inino avert unforeseen challenges.
BelBelow a breakdown of nua mmmembers ofilgrims that successfully registered for the 2024 Hajj exercise from each state.
S/N State Total number of pilgrims registered
1 Adamawa 1,642
2 Borno 1,780
3 Taraba 950
4 Yobe 1,120
Maid./Yola Sub-total 5,492
5 Bauchi| 2,315
6 Benue 87
7 Ekiti 186
8 FCT. 2,491
9 Gombe 1,373
10 Jigawa 1,250
11 Kaduna 4,493
12 Kano 3,057
13 Katsina 2,654
14 Kebbi 3,419
15 Kogi 13
16
17 Kwara 3000
Nasarawa
1,866
18 Niger 3,201
19 Ondo 491
20 Plateau 1,126
21 Sokoto 3,643
22 Zamfara 1,596
Northern Sub-total 36,261.
23 Abia –
24 Akwa-Ibom –
25 Anambra –
26 Bayelsa 13
27 Cross River –
28 Delta 36
29 Ebonyi 13
30 Edo 295
31 Enugu 18
32 Imo 100
33 Lagos 1,861
34 Ogun 925
35 Osun 1,590
36
37 Oyo
Rivers 1,047
47
38 Armed Forces 365
Southern Sub-total 6,310
TOTAL FROM STATES 48,063
39 HSS 1884
40 Others 1,500
GRAND TOTAL 51,447