Subsidising pilgrimage has become a drain
Perhaps in comingto grips with the deterioratingeconomy, the federal government has signalled its intention to end the concessionary exchange rate offered to religious pilgrims.The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria(NAHCON)announced last weekthat pilgrims wouldindividually financethe 2025 Hajj exercisefrom their pockets, ending the long-standing subsidy regime offered pilgrims by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).Although the cost of subsidisingChristian pilgrims for this year is not out, the federal governmenthad offered a subsidy of N90 billion to NAHCON to support the 2024 Hajj,an amount many argue could havebeen ploughedtobasic amenities andother social services in these difficult times.
The practice of subsidising religious pilgrimages in Nigeriadatesback to several decades.Government at all levelsexpends billions of nairaannuallyto supportadherents of Islam and Christianity to Mecca and Jerusalem.Pilgrimages hold special significance for many people, especially Muslims. Many Christians also undertake the journey to the holy sites to deepen their connection, and “feel connected to the worldwide community of Christians,” and learn more about the history of Christianity. For Muslims, pilgrimage holds a special place as Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Indeed, every Muslim is expected to make the journey to the Holy land, at least once in a lifetime, if they can afford it.
However, over the last few years many have been raisingtheir voices on thefinancial burdenof pilgrimageson thegovernment and theeconomy. Amid the prevailing hardship and the rising cost of living many have been increasingly questioning the policy on huge allocations of scarce foreign exchange to a group, on what is essentially a personal issue, and which in some instances, subject to abuse.
Many states across the country who cannot provide water for residents and can hardly pay teachers salary budget billions of naira annually to support a select few for spiritual voyage to the holy land. According to a report13state governors spent N15billion to sponsorless than 5000people on religious pilgrimagesrecently. Indeed, the Steve Orosanye Report of 2012 recommended the abolition of state-sponsored pilgrimages, adding that the NAHCON and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) be scrapped and their functions transferred to a department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Even if government could not summon the political will to implement it at the time, the current government is doing it in bits, in the face of the current reality.“It is tantamount to prioritizing religion over the nation’s economic needs,”said the Afenifere Renewal Group, a Yoruba socio-political group.“Education has also been adversely affected by the forex crisis with more Nigerians affected than those going on pilgrimages.Already, thousands of Nigerians studying abroad are being recalled home because their sponsors could no longer afford the fees.”
In the face of the depreciating national currency, thepreferential exchange rates granted the pilgrimsnow constitute a huge drain on the economy. Even if obeyed fitfully, the federal government has also put some restrictions on its staff from indiscriminate trips abroad to attend conferences and related events. The objective is to conserve funds. And in the face of present reforms entailing theremoval of subsidies onpetroland electricity,and other general items that affect all Nigerians,ithas becomeimperative to adopt a similar approach towards other forms of subsidies, including those on religious pilgrimages.
As things stand, it will be more sensible if government canredirectsuch fundsto critical areas such as healthcare,education, and poverty alleviation.We therefore endorse the new policy.Funding a religious pilgrimageis now a luxury we can ill afford.
