Travel News

By Kayode Lawal

As part of the preparations for the 2025 Hajj operations, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, on Tuesday inaugurated two committees for the screening of applications and inspection of the offices of licensed tour operators.

A statement issued by Mariam Zubair Abubakar disclosed that the Screening of Application Committee will be headed by Alhaji Alidu Shutti, while the Inspection of Nationwide Offices Committee will be led by Alhaji Abdul-Ghaffar.

The statement added that the NAHCON’s Commissioner of Operations, Inspectorate, and Licensing, OIL, Prince Anofiu Elegushi performed the inauguration ceremony in line with the Act establishing the commission.

While quoting the NAHCON Act 4, Section 1, Elegushi said the commission is saddled with the responsibility to license, regulate, supervise, and perform oversight functions over organizations, associations (corporate or non-corporate), or similar bodies engaged in both Hajj and Umrah activities.

He reminded the committees of the importance of handling such a vital role and representing the commission, urging them to be upright and to carry out their duties without sentiment or compromise.

The commissioner, who maintained that all screened companies must have the required documents before they are qualified, further appealed to the committees’ members to be mindful of time to keep pace with the 2025 Hajj calendar.

He, however, urged them to work diligently and efficiently to fast-track the entire process to achieve the desired objectives, adding that their reports would be strictly adhered to and must be accurate and reliable, as the commission relies on them.

Responding on behalf of members of the committee, the Head of the Inspection team, Alhaji Abdul-Ghaffar, expressed gratitude to the commission for considering them worthy of the assignment and promised that they would be diligent and efficient in delivering the task entrusted to them and assured that they would complete it within the specified timeframe.