National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says the 2022 hajj fare may go up by over 50%.

Also out of 43,000 slots approved by Saudi Arabia to Nigeria for the 2022 hajj, 33,976 would be allocated to states, while 9,032 will go to private hajj operators.

Kaduna state is allocated highest number of 2,491 slots, followed by Sokoto with 2,404 slots, while Bayelsa, Imo, and Rivers states received zero allocation.

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The commission chairman, Alhaji Sikirullahi Hassan announced this at a meeting with the executives of the states’ Muslim hajj welfare board in Abuja.

According to Hassan, the proposed increase in hajj fare is a reflection of the economic realities and other factors.

He explains that hajj fare is usually based on 97 per cent foreign currencies paid to foreign airlines, for the payment of flights and other payments, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

The NAHCON chairman also said the Saudi authorities has increased the value added tax from 5% to 15%.

The 2019 hajj fare was fixed at 1.5 million naira when the exchange rate was 319 naira to a dollar.

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