The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has commenced preparation for the 2018 pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
This followed the completion of airlift of over 65, 000 pilgrims that performed this year’s hajj from Nigeria. The last flight back home; Max Air flight NGL2110 departed Jeddah early morning 8:53am today to Kano via Port Harcourt.
The flight conveyed the last batch of 172 Kano State pilgrims, 76 Rivers State pilgrims and 30 officials back home. NAHCON carried out 152 flights back home with no single cancellation conveying 65, 008 pilgrims.
The first batch of 485 FCT pilgrims left the Jeddah Airport on September 6, while the airlift back to Nigeria was completed ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, the chairman of NACON, Abdullahi Muhammad Mukhtar said preparation for the 2018 hajj exercise has already commenced. Speaking when he hosted members of the 2017 media team at NAHCON office located at UmmulJud area of Makkah, Mukhtar said a delegation from the agency has met with service providers to prepare ground for pilgrims in Madina.
This year, Nigerian pilgrims were all accommodated close to the Prophet Mosque in Madinah, while NAHCON provided meals for pilgrims throughout their stay in the holy city.
Mukhtar said efforts are also being made in collaboration with State Pilgrims agencies to have unified accommodations in Makkah to house pilgrims within short distances from the Grand Mosque.
The chairman pledged to also review some of the issues at the just concluded hajj exercise towards minimising hitches and has assigned himself head of the Haram committee for the 2018 hajj to deal with issues that require special attention.
