The Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency (PWA) says it has registered 3,150 intending pilgrims for the 2027 Hajj after receiving an additional 300 slots from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The Chairman of the agency, Alhaji Aliyu Musa, disclosed this in Sokoto on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the state’s preparations for the pilgrimage.
Musa said the additional slots were part of 10,000 seats allocated to Nigeria by the Saudi Arabian Government and subsequently distributed by NAHCON among states and tour operators.
He explained that Sokoto’s additional 300 slots had been allocated to intending pilgrims who had made payments through the agency and its Hajj Saving Scheme.
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According to him, preparations for the 2027 Hajj are about 80 per cent complete, expressing confidence that the remaining arrangements would be concluded within the stipulated timeframe.
The chairman, however, said the state still required an additional 500 slots to accommodate more intending pilgrims.
“If we can get the 500 slots, I am sure we are going to exhaust them,” he said.
Musa said further requests for additional slots might not be possible at present because Saudi Arabian authorities had not allocated additional seats to Nigeria.
He disclosed that the agency had remitted payments for the 3,150 registered pilgrims to NAHCON, with each pilgrim paying a tentative fare of N7,682,862.60.
The chairman commended the Sokoto State Government for its support towards the preparations, saying the government’s contribution covered almost all the agency’s requirements.
Musa said the agency had commenced electronic tracking of pilgrims’ passports on the Saudi Arabian portal as part of the visa processing arrangements.
He added that officials of the agency would travel to Saudi Arabia next month to inspect accommodation and catering arrangements for the pilgrims.
Preparations for the pilgrims’ uniforms are also underway, he said.
The chairman, however, expressed concern over the centralisation of Hajj passport issuance in Abuja and Lagos, saying it had delayed the processing of travel documents.
He said passports that previously took about one week to process now required up to three weeks.
Musa appealed to the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service to consider decentralising passport issuance to facilitate timely processing of visas for pilgrims.
He also disclosed that the agency had received awards from NAHCON and other institutions for its activities, while its Public Relations Officer had been recognised by the Hajj Reporters Portal.
