By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
Over 18,000 Pilgrims airlifted for 2024 Hajj.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced that a total of 18,906 Nigerian pilgrims have been airlifted for the 2024/1445 Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
In an update provided on Saturday, the agency detailed that these pilgrims were transported via 45 flights over the course of 11 days. Despite this progress, 23 states in Nigeria have yet to begin the airlift of their pilgrims for this year’s Hajj.
NAHCON shared the information on its X handle, @nigeriahajjcom, including a pictorial breakdown of the airlifted pilgrims by state, flight, and gender. “Today, Air Peace flight APK7920 departed from Lagos to Madinah at 11:45hrs, carrying 298 pilgrims from Edo State. The group consists of 162 males and 136 females. This flight marks a significant milestone in the ongoing pilgrimage airlift operations. To date, a total of 18,906 pilgrims have been transported across 45 flights,” the post read.
The NAHCON Command and Control Center in Abuja confirmed the update, highlighting that states such as Zamfara, Taraba, Sokoto, Rivers, Ondo, Niger, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Imo, Gombe, Enugu, Ekiti, and Edo have not yet started their airlift operations. Other states yet to commence include Ebonyi, Delta, Cross River, Borno, Benue, Bayelsa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, and Abia.
In contrast, 14 states have successfully airlifted a portion of their pilgrims. Notably, Kogi, the Armed Forces, and Oyo have completed 100% of their airlift operations. Oyo and Nasarawa are at 99% completion, followed by Yobe at 64%, Plateau at 66%, Kebbi at 93%, Osun at 79%, Lagos at 85%, Kwara at 20%, Kaduna at 11%, FCT at 71%, Bauchi at 81%, and Adamawa at 17%.
Additionally, the Armed Forces have airlifted a total of 400 pilgrims in a single flight.
Earlier in March, NAHCON released a list of previously registered pilgrims. Out of the 95,000 slots allocated to Nigeria, 48,414 intending pilgrims from across the 36 states, the FCT, and the Armed Forces have paid the previous average price of N4.8 million.
For a detailed breakdown of the already airlifted 2024 Hajj pilgrims in Nigeria, please refer to the image analysis provided.
Pilgrims, Airlift.
Over 18,000 Pilgrims airlifted for 2024 Hajj