A total of 95,000 Muslim pilgrims from Nigeria are to perform the 2012 hajj with the first flight taking off on September 18, a top official has said.
The Chairman, National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Alhaji Muhammad Bello, said this on Thursday at a meeting with the Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje-led House Committee on Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
Bello, who briefed the committee on the 2011 hajj exercise, said the update on 2012 hajj arrangements was necessary so as to have a smooth and hitch free exercise.
He said the number was 4,000 lower than the allocation to Nigeria in 2011, adding that 10,000 of the figure were allotted to private hajj operators in the country while the commission and the state pilgrim boards would share the remaining 85,000.
The NAHCON boss, who attributed the shortfall to lack of space and facilities in the Holy land, said the commission was still discussing with the Saudi authorities the possibility of getting additional slots to cater for the huge requests for hajj seats in the country.
In the allocation for seats for the 2012 hajj exercise, Bello said the least number of 80 slots went to Abia, while Kaduna State had the highest of 7,560 and Kano State, 6,778.
On the transportation of pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia, he said the first hajj flight would depart Nigeria by September 18 while the last flight would leave the country on October 17 as the Jeddah airport would be closed by October 21.
Speaking on return flight, he said since Arafat day was likely to hold on October 25, the first return flight would leave Saudi Arabia for Nigeria on November 1 while the last would be November 30.
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