The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON and officials of the Islamic Development Bank, IDB have agreed to deepen the economic cooperation between the two organisations.
NAHCON Chairman Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan, made the disclosure in a statement issued by the commission’s Assistant Director, Information and Publications, Mousa Ubandawaki, in Abuja the nation’s capital.
Alhaji Hassan, during a meeting at the headquarters of the IDB in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, stressed the need for support and intervention of the bank in the areas of employment and poverty reduction.
NAHCON Chairman also solicited the support of the bank to provide opportunities for Nigerians in seasonal slaughtering job, capacity-building, facilitation of the take off of the Hajj Institute of Nigeria HIN and the supply of medical equipment to the Clinics.
“Nigeria as one of the Muslims populated country, we require your support in poverty reduction efforts.
Specifically, we want your intervention in the employment of Nigerians into the seasonal livestock slaughtering during the Hajj and the distribution of Hajj meat to Nigerians in the same way.
” We also need your assistance in capacity building of our staff and supply of instructional as well as medical equipment for the Hajj Institute of Nigeria and Clinic,” he stated.
Responding, the Deputy Coordinator General of the bank, Dr Umar Adiya, said that Nigeria has always been its partner and would be accorded a place of priority, adding that the commission’s request falls within the bank’s ambit.
He further stated the need to explore sustainable future of Hadaya project, if the bank must serve the purpose of its establishment.
Adiya said ” If we must guarantee the future of Hadaya project, then NAHCON must strive to support and encourage pilgrims to participate and key into the scheme to sustain it.”
While acknowledging the existence of a “black market” as posing danger to the scheme, he said that the only way to win the fight against them was through education.
” The black market activities have been detrimental to the scheme, I know, but while they cannot be eliminated totally, education is the tool to fight them,” he declared.
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