99,000 Pilgrims Perform 2011 Hajj –Commission

The Nigerian Hajj Commission said on Sunday that 99,000 pilgrims performed the 2011 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Malam Muhammad Bello, chairman of the Commission, said this at the World Hajj and Umrah Convention in London.

Bello, who led the Nigerian delegation, said 89,000 were from the 36 states and the FCT while 10,000 were from private sector companies.

He said Kaduna had the highest number of 7,000 pilgrims followed by Kano, while Abia had the least with 55 pilgrims.

On the allocation process, Bello said the states were encouraged to give priority to first timers in a ratio of 80 per ent for the first timers and 20 percent for the regulars.

Bello, who spoke on the topic, “Hajj as unifying force among nations”, explained that the setting up of a Hajj fund would make preparation for Hajj less cumbersome.

He added that Hajj also served as a common market for nations as part of its economic benefits

Bello expressed the need for Muslim bodies across the globe to use the yearly Hajj to further promote fraternity and unification among nations.

Mr. Tan Abi , Chairman, Tabung Haji Malaysia (Malaysian Pilgrims Board Fund) , who spoke on the success of the fund, said a total of 28,000 pilgrims travelled for Hajj in 2011.

He said fund, which was established 50 years ago, “has 6 million depositors with a total sum of 6 billion pounds in their account.”

“One in three Muslims in Malaysia is our depositor, ” he said, noting that Muslim countries have a lot to learn from each other when they share experiences.

Earlier, Mr. Moshin Tutla, the chairman of the convention, said the object of the event was to create a platform for Hajj and Umrah service providers to showcase their commitment to the development of the industry.

He expressed the optimism that the meeting would proffer ways for Hajj service providers globally to improve and enhance their services “to pilgrims who are visitors of the Almighty Allah”.

South Africa, Lebanon, Britain and Saudi Arabia are among the countries attending the two- day conference with the theme: “Education and Social Partnership”.