We’re working to resolve shortage of Ramadan Umrah visas for Nigerians, NAHCON declares
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says all hands are on deck to resolve the shortage of Ramadan Umrah visas for Nigerians.
Fatima Sanda-Usara, a NAHCON spokeswoman, said this in a statement on Tuesday.
NAHCON regretted the challenges faced by Nigerians in obtaining Umrah visas to travel to Saudi Arabia during Ramadan, noting that the situation stemmed from the misuse of privileges granted in the visa issuance process.
She explained some Nigerians exploited the visa validity extension provided by the Saudi Government by either prolonging their stays in the kingdom or holding onto visas without utilising them until Ramadan, resulting in a shortage of available visa slots for other citizens.
“Umrah visas are allocated to countries based on quotas, with Ramadan Umrah visas usually more expensive. Recently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia extended the visa validity to 90 days. It is obvious many Nigerians secured these visas at lower costs during other periods, obviously in anticipation of performing umrah during the month of Ramadan with them.
“These individuals exploited the visa validity extension by either prolonging their stays in the kingdom or holding onto visas without utilising them until Ramadan, resulting in a shortage of available visa slots for other Nigerians.
“The high demand for Umrah visas during Ramadan further exacerbates this shortage, leaving many Nigerians unable to fulfil their religious obligations,” the statement explained.
It said efforts were being made to address the problem. NAHCON had officially written to Saudi Arabia to communicate its concerns and outline the implications of visas being unavailable to Nigerian tour operators.
The statement also mentioned that NAHCON chairman Jalal Arabi had personally visited the Saudi embassy in Nigeria to explore potential solutions.
