The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), on Wednesday, said it made wide consultation before deciding the rates of the 2017 hajj fare.
The chairman of the commission, Abdullahi Mohammed, made this known while inaugurating the Aviation Monitoring Committee for the 2017 hajj operation in Abuja.
He said NAHCON did not just fix figure as cost of air ticket, accommodation, feeding and other services for the pilgrims.
He explained that the cost of each component that made up the fare was arrived at after reviewing the entire negotiation and discussions between service providers and NAHCON team.
Mr. Mohammed said the U.S. dollars constituted about 98 per cent component of the fare, adding that the commission used the dollar to pay for all services that would be rendered to pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
“So in actual terms, the component that determines the hajj fare is the dollar; the official exchange rate last year was N197 to a dollar but this year, it is N305 and when you multiply it by 4,805, which is the total fare per pilgrim, it will give you about N1.5 million.
“The bottom line is the exchange rate, which NAHCON has no control over. Government considers the sensitivity and the importance of hajj and allows us even to enjoy the official exchange rate.
“If we are to use the prevailing bank rate of N368 to the dollar, the cost will be between N1.8 million and N1.9 million.
