ABUJA- An expert in Hajj Affairs, Dr Shehu Muhammed, has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and other relevant stakeholders to adopt a well-financed system to achieve the best Hajj operational practice.
Muhammed, who was former Special Assistant Technical to the NAHCON chairman, said this on Thursday at the 2025 Post Hajj Lectures and Awards organised by the Independent Hajj Reporters in Abuja.
The theme of the event was, “For the Interest of the Pilgrims”.
Muhammed said that the best Hajj operational practice could only be possible when there is a well-financed Hajj system working in harmony.
“For Nigeria to achieve this, Hajj management system must be strengthened in areas of human resource such as recruitment, training and accountability of staff.
“We have able staff that are very ready to work in this system.
“The only thing that remains is for the National Hajj Institute to bring out models of training and train them to become certified professionals,” he said.
He called for the review of the Hajj Act to accommodate everybody, adding that strategic annual operation plan should be aligned with Saudi Hajj calendar.
He also called for Information and Communication Technology-driven Hajj management system.
“We have to have a system where if somebody made payment today in Makarfi, Kaduna, the person managing the dashboard in NAHCON also should see it.
“If it only stops at a state level, we still have a problem because inevitably, the whole information will be transferred to NAHCON.
“So, there should be a system where payments by intended pilgrims must be one system. And all of us must make contribution to that system so that all of us will have faith in the system,” he said.
In his remarks, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, National Coordinator of the Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), said that the IHR was to begin a new model of journalism that would concentrate on the interests of pilgrims.
“Without pilgrims, there will not be independent Hajj Reporters, take away intending Hajj pilgrims from Nigeria, then both NAHCON and States Muslim pilgrims welfare boards will cease to exist,”he said.
He said that his organisation was working on a framework to partner with Hajj Institute of Nigeria to train journalists, especially those covering Hajj activities.
According to him, this will acquaint them with the complexities and the uniqueness of Hajj operations, a cross-border exercise that involves over 100 different agencies.
“We focus on these all-year-round updates for our brothers and sisters saddled with the responsibilities of managing the welfare of pilgrims juxtapose the standards obtained elsewhere with what we have in our country.
“IHR is a registered NGO and a multi media organisation created to serve the interests of pilgrims by advocating for workable polices.
“We report and enlighten Nigerian pilgrims and Hajj administrators on what is happening within the Hajj participating countries around the world and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he said. (NAN)
