Kaduna, Kaduna state – The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has issued a deadline of January 31 for intending pilgrims to pay their 2025 Hajj fare in full.
NAHCON chairperson, Abdullahi Usman, issued the deadline in an audio broadcast in Hausa, Premium Times said it monitored.
Usman said:
“The Saudi government has made it clear during our several meetings. The said deadline for all intending pilgrims stands on 31 January. And we have listened and assured them of our compliance. So, I am urging all Intending pilgrims to make or complete their payment before the deadline.”
In the same vein, the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Board on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, issued a deadline of January 31 for intending pilgrims to fully pay their hajj fare payments.
Legit.ng reports that hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is obligatory for every Muslim once in their lifetime, provided they are physically fit and financially capable.
Blueprint newspaper reported that the directive concerning the deadline for fare payment was announced in a statement released by Yunusa Abdullahi, the board’s public relations officer (PRO).
Mohammed said intending pilgrims from Kaduna state will pay N8,457,685.59 for the 2025 hajj—as announced by NAHCON on Monday, January 20. He also stated that NAHCON has allocated 6,679 hajj seats to the state for the 2025 pilgrimage.
Abdullahi said the intending pilgrims are expected to complete payment of the hajj fare by Friday, January 31, 2025. This, he said, is important to remit all deposits to NAHCON on time.
Hajj 2025: Defaulters may miss pilgrimage
Furthermore, the statement urged all intending pilgrims who had earlier made deposits with the agency to complete payment. Authorities in the All Progressives Congress, APC-governed state warned that defaulters risk forfeiting their chances to embark on the journey to Saudi Arabia because NAHCON has also fixed a deadline for remitting the hajj fares.
Legit.ng reports that the registration process is ongoing at the agency’s headquarters and in all 23 local government areas (LGAs) across Kaduna state.
“All intending pilgrims are expected to obtain a customised bank teller at their respective local government registration centres before making the payment.”
What Muslims do at Hajj
During Hajj, Muslims do several rituals that are shrouded in obedience, and rightfulness. There are 18 steps of Hajj. Firstly, the one who performs Hajj has to intend to do it. Therefore, he/she has to enter the state of Ihram.
Secondly, the Muslims have to make ‘Tawaf’ (going around Ka’aba) seven times, as well as going between Safa and Marwa. Then, Hajji have to shave and clip their nails. Then, they head to Mina to prepare for the big day, Arafah.
On the Day of Arafah, they have to spend the day from sunrise to sunset praying, asking for forgiveness, and making Dua’a to Allah. After that, they go to Muzdalifah. In the morning, they perform Rami (stoning of the devil). Then, they slaughter a cow or a sheep. Next, they shave their head.
Hajj 2025: FG approves 4 air transporters
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Profesor Abdullahi Usman, the chairman of NAHCON, announced that the presidency approved four airlines as official air carriers for pilgrims of the Hajj 2025.
According to a statement by Fatima Usara, the assistant director of information and publication, on behalf of the NAHCOM chairman, the carriers were selected out of the 11 companies that submitted applications for the airlift of Nigerian Muslim pilgrims.