The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has introduced a new policy on accommodation for Nigerian pilgrims visiting Madinah during the 2023 Hajj. Pilgrims will now only be allowed to spend five days in the holy city before being moved to Makkah. The policy aims to address complaints about overcrowding in Madinah. NAHCON’s Deputy Director, Information and Publications, Malam Mousa Ubandawaki, stated that the new policy will come into effect on June 8, 2023, adding that it was adopted after wide consultations and exhaustive deliberation.
Ubandawaki explained that the decision to reduce the number of days pilgrims can spend in Madinah was essential to ensure that Nigerian pilgrims could visit the city before Arafat, a crucial stage of the Hajj. The Hajj pilgrimage is evolving, and new developments and realities mean that the transportation of pilgrims has to be synchronized with the availability of bed space. Ubandawaki also noted that Nigerian pilgrims typically stayed in the exclusive Markaziyya area during their visit to Madinah.
Although Ubandawaki acknowledged that the decision to reduce the days spent in Madinah had been overwhelmingly commended, he emphasized that the policy had to be sustained to avoid oversubscription and penalties for transporting more pilgrims into Madinah than there is accommodation available. NAHCON has promised to stand by this new policy to ensure a seamless and comfortable Hajj pilgrimage for Nigerian pilgrims in 2023.
