Hajj: Nigerian pilgrims to get local meals, lodge in 5-star hotels

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has assured Nigerian pilgrims that they will be fed local food during the holy pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and lodged in 5-star hotels close to the Prophet’s Mosque.

Speaking during the flagoff of the inaugural flight of Nigerian pilgrims on Thursday, the Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Hassan, said pilgrims would get the best of food during the exercise.

Daily Trust recalls that there was wide discomfort with the type of feeding given to Nigerian pilgrims during the 2022 hajj, leading the commission to get a refund of N107.8m (SR542,033) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for poor feeding service rendered by companies of Mutawwifs to pilgrims from African nonArab countries.

Hassan said that the new arrangement would provide jobs for Nigerians during the period.

“The Commission, in collaboration with the Mutawwif’s Company for Pilgrims of Non-Arab African Countries popularly known as Muassasa, has put in place mechanisms for the comfort and safety of our pilgrims. We have agreed that this year, our pilgrims would be served indigenous meals.

“To this end, the commission created job opportunities for our Nigerian caterers by insisting that Saudi based caterers work in partnership with them in preparing Nigerian local cuisines for our pilgrims,” he said.