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By David Odama
Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has commended President Bola Tinubu for directing the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON to reduce the cost of the 2026 Hajj fare for intending pilgrims.
This is even as the group appealed to President Tinubu to also direct the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to peg the exchange rate for the 2026 Hajj at N1,000 to a US dollar.
Tinubu had through the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, on Monday directed that the Hajj fare for next year be reduced during a meeting with NAHCON’s management team in Abuja.
According to the Vice President, the downward review of the Hajj fare became necessary due to the continued appreciation of the naira against the dollar, the primary determinant of pilgrimage costs.
In a statement signed by the IHR National Coordinator, Ibrahim Mohammed, it described the President’s intervention as “most commendable,“ adding that it reflects his responsiveness to the needs of ordinary Nigerians.
“What the President has done is highly commendable and has shown that, as he always says, he feels the pulse of ordinary citizens at all times,” the statement reads.
The CSO noted that the directive aligns with its earlier analysis, which had shown that the over N8 million fare announced by NAHCON was on the high side and not reflective of prevailing foreign exchange realities across the country.
It further urged the federal government to consolidate the President’s directive by instructing the CBN to provide a concessionary exchange rate for Hajj 2026 pilgrims.
“We appeal to President Tinubu to direct the CBN to peg the exchange rate for the 2026 Hajj at N1,000 to the US dollar.
“Given that about 85 percent of the Hajj rate is transacted in US dollars, approving the concessions on the dollar rate will drastically reduce the Hajj fare as directed by the President,“ the group stated.
According to IHR, implementing such a concessionary rate will encourage more Nigerians to register for the pilgrimage and ensure that the country fully utilizes its allocated slots.
