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ABUJA, Nigeria - The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has granted permission for the 2025 intending pilgrims to engage in cash transactions for their pilgrimage to Mecca.
This decision came after Vice-President Kashim Shettima intervened on behalf of the more than 40,000 pilgrims, appealing to President Bola Tinubu through the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on Thursday.
Aliu Abdulrazaq, NAHCON’s Commissioner for Policy, Personnel Management, and Finance, revealed this while addressing journalists after a meeting with the vice-president at the State House in Abuja.
He confirmed that the CBN has allowed Nigerian pilgrims to have cash transactions for this year's Hajj.
He stated, “The meeting was triggered by the Federal Government’s policy regarding the card for Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) for the 2025 Hajj operations.
We have conducted several meetings prior to this. The vice-president took action and invited the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank with an appeal.
“Due to the generosity of the CBN and the request made by the vice-president, the decision to use a card for pilgrims in the 2025 Hajj has been reversed, allowing individuals to carry cash instead.
This is a significant achievement for NAHCON. If one goes to Saudi Arabia, particularly in the areas where pilgrims perform their rituals, there is typically only one Automated Teller Machine available, which is always crowded, creating substantial challenges for pilgrims who wish to purchase items.”
