ICICE to Support NAHCON’s Programs for Smooth Hajj Operations
The International Centre for Islamic Culture and Education (ICICE) Abuja, has pledged to support the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) implement its newly introduced policies and programs that will have far reaching positive impacts on the conduct of Hajj operations in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
Director General and chief executive of the Centre, Dr Kabir Kabo Usman, stated this on Friday during a courtesy visit to the chairman and chief executive of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, in his office in Abuja.
According to a press statement from the special assistant on media and publicity to the ICICE DG, Comrade Abdulkadir Ahmed Ibrahim, a copy of which was sent to Nigerian Sketch, Dr Kabir explained that as a Centre that focuses on education, trainings in islamic finance, science of Qur’an and Arabic language courses among others, it can key into the laudable policies and programs of NAHCON recently introduced by the new management under Alhaji Zikrullah Hassan.
Some of the policies and programs are the Hajj Savings Scheme, the Hajj Training Institute and the Digital Transformation Agenda which are aimed at positioning the Commission in global Hajj affairs as well as professionalizing Hajj administration in the country.
He explained that ICICE that is also the custodian of AL-NOOR Mosque, Wuse II, Abuja, will equally collaborate with the Commission in enlightening prospective Nigerian Pilgrims on Hajj Savings Scheme and provide instructional and tutorial services at the institute and the proposed NAHCON Investment drive to generate revenue.
The Director General announced that construction work has started for the N3.15 billion Al-Noor Mosque expansion project that can accommodate 10, 000 worshippers at a time and will have a conference hall, a bookshop, a printing press and tahfeez classes.
He said the President General of Nigeria’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, will formally lay the foundation of the project at a ceremony scheduled to hold soon where the President of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Ibn Abdul Aziz al Sudais, who is also the Imam of the Grand Mosque the Masjid al- Haram in Makkah, will be among the expected dignitaries.
Dr Kabir congratulated the NAHCON chairman on his well deserved appointment, noting that the previous public positions held, track records and the impeccable qualifications of Alhaji Zikrullah will spur him to transform the Commission and improve the overall hajj operations in Nigeria and in the holy land.
Responding, the chairman and chief executive of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, heartily accepted the offer by ICICE for a robust relationship between the two organizations to achieve the desired objectives for Nigerian Muslims and pilgrims in particular to get the best part of their hajj.
He announced that gone are the days when government will fund the operations of all its agencies hence, NAHCON is exploring all lawful avenues to generate revenue and is working with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to convert some of its properties that are utilized once a year like the Pilgrims Transit Camps known as Hajj Camps into an all year round revenue yielding ventures.