After two years of no-hajj exercise for the Nigerian Muslims community due to COVID-19 restrictions put in place by the authorities of Saudi Arabia, a meager 43,008 Nigerian pilgrims are expected to perform the 2022 hajj ritual in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON)’s commissioner for Policy, Personnel Management and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakasai, confirmed this to our correspondent on Wednesday, saying the Saudi authorities have allocated 43,008 pilgrims quota to Nigeria for the 2022 Hajj exercise.
The 43008 pilgrims from Nigeria would be among the one million pilgrims approved by the Saudi’s authorities for the 2022 Hajj exercise, including foreigners and residents of the Kingdom.
The 43,008 slots allocated to Nigeria for the 2022 Hajj is far below the 95,000 quota granted Nigeria for 2017, 2018 and 2019 Hajj exercises respectively.
After missing the 2020 and 2021 Hajj exercise over COVID-19 restriction, no fewer than 150,000 Nigerian pilgrims, including those who registered for 2020 and 2021 editions but could not make it, are hoping to perform this year’s hajj.
The 43,008 quota will definitely put NAHCON, State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards and private tour operators under immense pressure to select 43,008 Nigerian pilgrims on the order of merit for the 2022 Hajj.
Saudi Arabia had restricted the 2020 and 2021 hajj to citizens and residents of the Kingdom to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus into the country.
No fewer than 2.4 million pilgrims performed the 2019 Hajj that was open to both local and internationals. Therefore the approved total one million pilgrims for the 2022 Hajj is far less than 50 per cent of the number of pilgrims that performed the 2019 Hajj rites