By Jabiru Hassan, Kano
The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a faith-based civil society organization focused on monitoring and reporting Hajj and Umrah activities, has praised the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for selecting a new Saudi-based service provider for the 2025 Hajj season.
The organization stated that this decision would encourage healthy competition among service providers, ensuring efficient, high-quality, and satisfactory services for Nigerian pilgrims.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, from Makkah, Saudi Arabia, IHR noted that the quest for improved Hajj services has been a persistent challenge for Nigerian pilgrims due to repeated failures in meeting expectations.
“We applaud the decision to appoint a new service provider to cater to the needs of pilgrims in the Masha’ir areas during the five days of Hajj,” the statement read.
The National Coordinator, currently in Saudi Arabia to oversee pre-Hajj arrangements, revealed that the newly selected company, Mashariq Al Dhahabia, is a well-experienced provider. The company has previously served top Hajj-performing countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia and is ranked among the top five Hajj service providers by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
Mashariq Al Dhahabia served 249,706 pilgrims during the 2023 Hajj, the highest number recorded, and was recognized as the Best Hajj Service Provider during the 2022 Hajj by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
IHR further disclosed that NAHCON is considering hiring an additional service provider to cater to VIP pilgrims, a move aimed at avoiding challenges faced in previous years.
However, the CSO urged NAHCON to establish clear performance benchmarks for the newly selected service providers. These benchmarks should focus on pilgrims’ satisfaction and strict adherence to contractual terms to ensure continued patronage, the statement added.
