Group Urges CBN to Scrap 2% Service Charge on Hajj Fare to Reduce Pilgrimage Cost
The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR) has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to abolish the two percent service charge it deducts from payments made by intending Nigerian pilgrims for the annual Hajj.
According to the group, the charge — which amounts to about $90 (N144,000) per pilgrim based on the N1,600 exchange rate benchmark applied by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) — has significantly contributed to the rising cost of Hajj.
With Saudi Arabia allocating 95,000 slots to Nigeria for the 2025 pilgrimage, IHR estimates that the CBN generates around $8.55 million (N13.68 billion) annually from the levy.
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In a statement on Sunday signed by its National Coordinator, Ibrahim Mohammed, the group described the deductions as an unnecessary burden on pilgrims already weighed down by multiple charges from different government agencies.
“The CBN should abolish the revenue it collects simply for transferring Hajj payments to NAHCON’s IBAN account in Saudi Arabia,” the statement read. “While we do not claim the payments are illegal, we believe the apex bank can waive them as a contribution to reducing Hajj fares in Nigeria.”
IHR further noted that since 2019, NAHCON has been funding its own operations through service charges without government subventions, a development it said should be supported by other public institutions to ease the financial strain on pilgrims.
The group’s position aligns with similar appeals from stakeholders in the Hajj sector, who have consistently called on the CBN to scrap the fee in order to make pilgrimage more affordable for Nigerian Muslims.
By PRNigeria
