The Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board in the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory FCT has hinted at the arrangement to conduct the first phase of education and orientation exercise for intending pilgrims for the 2024 year’s hajj exercise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Director of the Board, Mallam Abubakar Adamu Evuti who disclosed this in an interview in Abuja, said that the orientation exercise is billed to take place on Saturday 3rd, and Sunday 4th February 2024 at the FCT Permanent Hajj camp located at Basan Jiwa close to the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
The Director explained that Islamic scholars have already been mobilised for the exercise to prepare the intending pilgrims to achieve an acceptable Hajj.
Mallam Evuti further explained that the exercise would be conducted in phases, as usual, to enable the intending pilgrims to get enlightened on the Hajj rites as well as new policies introduced for this year’s Hajj by the Saudi Authorities and National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
He explained that the Board has already mapped out strategies to educate the intending pilgrims on the exercise, especially as new policies were introduced by the Saudi Arabian government in respect of this year’s exercise which are peculiar to pilgrims over the years.
He advised intending pilgrims from the territory for this year’s Hajj to participate in all programmes organised by the Board aimed to assist them in attaining acceptable hajj.
He advised particularly the first timers, to take advantage of the exercise and enhance their Islamic knowledge on Hajj rites and proper guidance to get value for their money and discharge their religious obligations.
The Director, therefore, warned all intending pilgrims who are yet to return their completed application forms or submit their international Passports to do so to enable the Board to commence the process of their travel documents.
He stated that only intending pilgrims who deposited up to the minimum threshold of N4.5 million (four million, five hundred thousand Naira) and above would be shortlisted for this year’s Hajj at the expiration of the deadline set for the registration of 2024 by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Dominica Nwabufo
