The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a faith-based civil society organisation, has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to remove the two percent charge imposed on payments made by Nigerian pilgrims for the annual hajj exercise.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement on Sunday, Ibrahim Mohammed, the national coordinator of IHR, said the deduction — estimated at about $90 (₦144,000) per pilgrim based on the ₦1,600 exchange rate used by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) is contributing to the rising cost of hajj in the country.
Mohammed explained that with Saudi Arabia’s allocation of 95,000 slots to Nigeria each year, the CBN could earn approximately $8.55 million (₦13.68 billion) annually from hajj-related transactions if the quota is fully utilized.
He urged the apex bank to waive the fee to reduce the financial pressure on intending pilgrims, adding that the charge is collected simply for transferring hajj payments to NAHCON’s IBAN account in Saudi Arabia.
While clarifying that the deduction is not illegal, Mohammed suggested that the CBN could eliminate it as part of its contribution toward lowering hajj costs.
He noted that Nigerian pilgrims already pay multiple service charges to various government agencies, further inflating overall expenses.
Mohammed said, “It should be noted that NAHCON has been funding its operations since 2019, relying on its service charge and relieving the government of hajj operational costs.”
“Such self-reliance needs to be supported by other government institutions to ensure smooth and efficient service delivery for Nigerian pilgrims.”
He added that IHR’s demand aligns with similar appeals made by other hajj stakeholders, all urging the CBN to waive the fee in the interest of affordability.
