The House of Representatives has approved a comprehensive report recommending reforms for the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board to improve the Hajj experience and ensure transparency.
The proposed reforms include establishing a Hajj Tribunal to resolve disputes involving NAHCON, tour operators, and pilgrims. This tribunal will give pilgrims a platform to seek redress for grievances.
The report also calls for the renegotiation of the Bilateral Air Agreement, which currently gives Saudi-owned airlines the right to airlift 50% of Nigerian pilgrims, to allow more participation from domestic airlines. Additionally, NAHCON is instructed to publish transparent and detailed breakdowns of Hajj charges, standardize the fee structure for pilgrims, and raise the Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) to better support pilgrims.
To improve accommodation management, NAHCON is required to decentralize this responsibility to include State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and private tour operators in the negotiation process. A service rating system will also be introduced to ensure accommodation providers meet quality standards.
The commission is also mandated to ensure timely fund disbursements to prevent substandard hotels being allocated to pilgrims and establish a refund system for any service failures.
The report emphasizes the need for NAHCON to create an efficient complaints and resolution unit to address issues related to accommodation, feeding, and transportation. It also proposes a transparent system for issuing Hajj visas to tour operators and maintaining public records to avoid corruption.
Moreover, NAHCON is urged to consult with relevant stakeholders like tour operators, airlines, and state boards rather than making unilateral decisions. On feeding, the House has instructed NAHCON to contract Nigerian food caterers and introduce strict quality control measures.
Lastly, the House has called for an audit of NAHCON’s N90 billion federal subsidy allocated for the 2024 Hajj. Anti-corruption agencies are also tasked with investigating NAHCON’s claim of sponsoring 1,000 officials from the subsidy.
These reforms are aimed at improving the overall Hajj experience for Nigerian pilgrims, ensuring greater accountability, transparency, and better service delivery.
