By Hassan D Idris
Alhaji Umar Makun Lapai
Executive Secretary, Niger State
Pilgrims Welfare Board
The Executive Secretary Niger State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Umar Makun Lapai, said he envisaged that intending pilgrims from Nigeria and other parts of the world might encounter serious accomodation challenges during the 2023 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.
Alhaji Makun Lapai, who was in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with some legislatures of the state House of Assembly Committee on Religious Affairs for early preparation of the Hajj exercise, mentioned that part of their visit was to negotiate the rents for accomodations and other services for the pilgrims.
He said over 60 percent of pilgrims’ accomodation, used for last year’s Hajj, have been demolished or marked for demolition to give way for new structures.
“Over 3.7 Million intending pilgrims are expected to perform the 2023 Hajj exercise globally as against 1 Million Pilgrims in 2022.
“Our first priority is to first look at the cost implication to at least be in tandem with the approved Hajj fare by the National Hajj commission of Nigeria”, he added
Service providers according to the Niger State executive secretary, were presently hiking the cost of their houses as most of the hotels used in 2022 have already been domolished.
The executive secretary who urged intending pilgrims from the state to speedy up their registration for the 2023 Hajj exercise, said the Board can only secure accomodations for the number of intending pilgrims that registered on time.
