The National Hajj Commission has disclosed that out of the 95,000 available slots for prospective pilgrims to Saudi Arabia in 2024, only 46,000 individuals are currently unable to cover the costs associated with their fares and other charges.

On Monday, the commission announced that just 49,000 individuals have completed full payment for the exercise.

The commission is saying that due to the devaluation of the naira, they’re asking people who already paid N4.9 million to add N1.9 million more, making it a total of N6.8 million. For those who haven’t paid yet, it’s N8.25 million if you’re from the north and N8.45 million if you’re from the south.

Also, in Kano, the commission’s spokesperson, Fatima Sanda Usara, mentioned in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, “Yes only 48,000 people have been able to pay out of the 95,000 seats offered us by the Saudi authorities. Seventy-five of those seats belong to the government officials while 20 are for caregivers. If you add everything, we can say we have 49,000 intending pilgrims who have paid their money since the initial deadline of 12th February,” she said.

The commission is considering reaching out to state governors and affluent individuals for support in aiding the 2024 prospective pilgrims by covering their expenses, such as meals and other bills, to alleviate financial burdens on them.