To ensure a successful 2025 hajj exercise, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) weekend met with members of Private Tour Operators in Nigeria.
The meeting led by Commissioner for Operations, Prince Anofi Elegushi was held at the Hajj House Boardroom in Abuja.
Before the virtual meeting with members of the Tour Operator Companies, NAHCON also met with leadership of the Hajj Private sector in Nigeria where the commissioner briefed participants on a number of issues among which was outcome of virtual meeting with Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia as well as outcome of meeting with AHOUN leadership.
The Private Tour Operators under the aegis of Association of Hajj and Umrah Operators in Nigeria (AHUON) had express concerns over a number of issues which led to the NAHCON’s invitation of leadership of the association for an understanding of the matters raised.
With regards to AHOUN’s concern over caution deposit refunds, NAHCON’s Commissioner Operations, Prince Elegushi who chaired the meeting explained to AHOUN leadership that the caution deposit is meant to compensate any pilgrim with genuine claims of disservice by a Tour Operator.
The normal procedure after every hajj was for NAHCON to refund pilgrims that did not go for the hajj from the defaulting company’s caution deposit.
Hence, advertisement is first placed in any national daily inviting complaints from pilgrims. Then after one month’s expiration of the advertisement, those companies without any indictment are considered eligible for refunds and be invited for reconciliation after which they apply for the refund or roll-over. Any company found wanting on the other hand will wait for an outcome of investigation to be followed by reconciliation and then payment of refund after sending its formal request.
However, in 2023, out of 241 Tour Operators that deposited the caution deposit of N5 million each, 139 requested and received their refunds. 70 companies requested for a roll-over of their deposit to 2024 instead of a refund. The remaining were those yet to be cleared of allegations and those yet to apply for their refunds or roll over.