THE Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR) has commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for selecting a different Saudi-based service provider for the 2025 hajj season.
The group said the decision would create a healthy competition among service providers interested in efficiently serving Nigerian pilgrims.
The IHR, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Muhammed, in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, said improved hajj services had been a major quest for Nigerian pilgrims owing to the repeated failure of providing satisfactory services. to
“We applauded the decision to pick another service provider that will cater the needs of pilgrims within the Masha’ir areas during the five days of hajj,” the group said.
Muhammed, who is currently in Saudi Arabia to monitor the pre-hajj arrangements, said available information showed that the new company, Mashariq Al Dhahabia, is an experienced service provider that has served top-rated hajj countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.
The IHR said it understood that NAHCON was planning to recruit another service provider to provide services for VIP pilgrims so as not to repeat the experience of previous years, “which is also a desired step forward.”
However, the group urged NAHCON to set a parameter of performance for the newly selected service providers to serve as a baseline for determining continuous patronage. Such criteria should be based on pilgrims’ satisfaction and adherence to contractual terms, it stated.
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