Breaking: 51,447 Nigerian Pilgrims for 2024 Hajj

By Ajayi Sodiq

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has confirmed in a press release, signed by Fatima Sanda Usara that  51, 447 Nigerian Pilgrims, shall be going for the 2024 Pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The Press Release read this: “After the close of registration, the official number of intending pilgrims that registered for the 2024 Hajj from Nigeria stands at 51,447 under the government quota.”

Commendably, The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government played a leading role in the realization of this noble objective. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) recognize the numerous sacrifices that the Federal Government made against all odds towards easing the constraints of its intending pilgrims.

The Commission also commends the patience exhibited by the pilgrims who were caught up in the uncertainties. The concern demonstrated by the Ulamas over the pilgrims’ predicament did not go unnoticed by the Commission. Several stakeholders, including State Governors, rendered solutions out of the gridlock. Some media houses showed tremendous understanding of the constraints which literarily exposed the reality of the quagmire the 2024 Hajj was confronting.

Indeed, the 2024 Hajj preparations came with unexpected challenges from which lessons have been learnt. NAHCON has always known that long-term planning has been the workable strategy that would have subdued the challenges that slowed down the year’s Hajj preparations. Going forward, long-term planning will be the Commission’s paradigm shift in its pre-Hajj operations. It is a reality that all Hajj stakeholders must queue in to avert unforeseen challenges.

Below is a breakdown of number of pilgrims that successfully registered for the 2024 Hajj exercise from each state.

S/N   StateTotal number of pilgrims registered

1 Adamawa 1,642

2 Borno1,780

3 Taraba950

4 Yobe1,120

Maid./Yola Sub-total 5,492

5 Bauchi|2,315

6 Benue87

7 Ekiti186

8 FCT.2,491

9 Gombe1,373

10 Jigawa1,250

11 Kaduna4,493

12 Kano3,057

13 Katsina2,654

14 Kebbi3,419

15 Kogi13

16

17 Kwara 3,000

Nasarawa 1,866

18 Niger3,201

19 Ondo491

20 Plateau1,126

21 Sokoto3,643

22 Zamfara1,596

Northern Sub-total36,261

23 Abia-

24 Akwa-Ibom-

25 Anambra-

26 Bayelsa13

27 Cross River-

28 Delta36

29 Ebonyi13

30 Edo295

31 Enugu18

32 Imo100

33 Lagos1,861

34 Ogun925

35 Osun1,590

36

37  Oyo1,047

Rivers 47

38 Armed Forces365

Southern Sub-total 6,310

TOTAL FROM STATES 48,063

39 HSS 1884

40Others1,500

GRAND TOTAL51,447

Fatima Sanda Usara,

Assistant Director, Public Affairs, NAHCON

05/04/2024