The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has introduced a new policy on accommodation in Madinah, directing the pilgrims to spend only five days in Madinah and move to Makkah after visiting the Prophet’s Mosque and other holy places (ziyarat) in the second holy city.
The commission’s deputy director of information and publications, Alhaji Mousa Ubandawaki, gave the directive in a statement, saying the policy takes immediate effect from Thursday, June 8, 2023.
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According to him, the decision is to avoid overcrowding of Nigerian pilgrims in the city of Madinah. “A new rule which will make it mandatory for pilgrims in Madinah to be moved to Makkah after a five days stay in the second holiest city will take effect from Thursday, June 8, 2023.
“The new policy becomes imperative following the complaint of overcrowding of Nigerian pilgrims in the City of Madina. It is important to note that for the first time in a long time, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is giving 100 percent Nigerian pilgrims the opportunity to visit Madina in the first phase or before Arafat.
“However, to achieve this and in order to avert sanctions against the country if there are pilgrims overcrowding in Madinah, the commission had to adopt the new policy, after wide consultations and exhaustive deliberation,” Ubandawaki stated.
Out of the 33,828 Nigerian pilgrims so far transported to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj, 15,749 have moved to Makkah while 18,089 are still Madinah praying at the Prophet’s Mosque and performing their ziyarat, just as more Nigerian pilgrims continue to move into the second holy city.
It is a known fact that Nigerian pilgrims live in the exclusive Markaziyya area during their stay in Madinah, a decision which has been overwhelmingly commended.
Ubandawaki added that for the policy to be sustained, then the number of days pilgrims must stay in Madina had to be reduced.
“As it is well known that Hajj is fast changing with new development and realities, if the Commission must achieve the objectives of making the 2023 Hajj seamless and comfortable for our pilgrims, it is important to synchronize the airlift of pilgrims to the Holy Land with the bed space available, so that the Commission won’t be penalised for airlifting more pilgrims into Madina than the available accommodation or be forced to take the pilgrims to another area which are well below the standard of the current Markaziyya,” he said.