The Sokoto State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, PWA, has registered 3,150 intending pilgrims for the 2027 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
PWA Chairman, Aliyu Musa, disclosed this to the newsmen on Tuesday in Sokoto, adding that the figure included the additional 300 Hajj slots recently allocated to the state.
Mr Musa explained that the additional 300 slots were part of the 10,000 slots allocated to Nigeria by the Saudi Arabian Government, which the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, has already distributed to states across the country and to tour operators.
He said the 300 additional slots allocated to Sokoto State have been utilised to accommodate some intending pilgrims who had already paid through the Agency and Hajj Saving Scheme, HSS.
He said arrangements for the 2027 Hajj have reached about 80 per cent, expressing optimism that the agency will meet the target within the stipulated time frame.
The Chairman said the state still has a deficit of 500 seats.
“If we can get the 500 slots, I am sure we are going to exhaust it. Those 500 will wait till next year,” he stated.
Mr Musa disclosed that the agency has remitted all monies for the 3,150 seats to NAHCON, adding that each intending pilgrim has paid N7.68 billion Hajj fares.
He commended the Sokoto State Government for its support, saying the Hajj exercise cannot be achieved without the state government’s contribution which he quantified as almost 100 per cent.
On preparations, he said the agency is currently e-tracking passports to the Saudi Arabian portal for visa issuance, and will by next month travel to Saudi Arabia to inspect accommodation and catering services for pilgrims while arrangements for pilgrims’ uniforms are also in progress.
He also disclosed that the agency was recently honoured with various awards by NAHCON and other institutions, including an award to its Public Relations Officer by Hajj Reporters Portal.
The Chairman described centralization of Hajj passport issuance in Abuja and Lagos by the Federal Government as a major bottleneck causing delays.
According to him, passports that were formerly obtained within a week now take up to three weeks.
He appealed to the Comptroller General of Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, to decentralise the process.
NAN
