Ghana Hajj Board, Nigeria Hajj Commission confer in Mecca to share ideas for improved Hajj organisation

The Ghana Hajj Board and its Nigerian counterpart, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NACOHN) held bilateral discussions in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, July 11, 2022, with the view to sharing ideas and improving their respective Hajj operations.

Both countries are winding up their 2023 Hajj operations with the airlifting of pilgrims back home after a successful Hajj.

Ghana's Hajj Board Chairman, Ben Abdallah Banda, who led the Ghanaian delegation, said, with the enormous experience of the Nigeria High Commission, the Ghana Hajj Board deemed it appropriate to interact with their Nigerian counterpart to share ideas and learn from each other.

"I deem it appropriate and prudent to come to you on a familiarisation visit so we can share experiences and improve Hajj operations and services in our respective countries," said Ben Abdallah Banda, who is also the Presidential Coordinator for Zongo Development.

"Our purpose is to learn a lot from Nigeria considering your experience and the number of Pilgrims you manage. This is also a reciprocal visit since you called on my predecessor, Sheikh I. C. Quaye in Ghana in 2021."

"Hajj Operations is not an event but a process. So as Chairman of the Ghana Hajj Board, there is so much to learn from you on the intricacies of Hajj and so much ideas to also share, so for us in particular, we can also improve a lot on our Hajj operations."

"There were many challenges we faced during the Hajj process and I believe this type of meeting sets the tone for us to correct some of these mistakes. "

He shared the history of Ghana's Hajj Board and the roles it plays in the organisation of Hajj operations in Ghana.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Hajj Commission Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan gave a background to the establishment of the NACOHN, and how it coordinates Africa's biggest Hajj operations and the 5th biggest in the world.

With a contingent of nearly 100,000 Nigerian pilgrims who participated in this year's Hajj, Nigeria was the country with the 5th largest contingent to the Hajj behind Indonesia, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

The head of the Nigeria Hajj Commission shared some strategies and policies of his outfit with the Ghanaian delegation, assuring of NAHCOHN's willingness to collaborate with the Ghana Hajj Board for improved operations.

He also spoke about Nigeria's Hajj Institute, which he said, offers training on Hajj Management, and invited the Ghana Hajj Board to the Institute.

A senior executive of NACOHN, Alhaji Abdulahi Hardawa, expressed delight at the meeting, saying, Nigeria and Ghana collaborate in many areas and it is "exciting to see the two big giants of Africa sharing ideas on Hajj operations for better services."

He suggested that moving forward, Ghana, Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region can come together to form a Pan African Hajj Union, which will have a stronger voice to bargain for better services.

Members of Ghana's delegation included board members, Masaudu Osman, Abdul Aziz Haruna Futa and Ahmed Abdulai Abu.

Senior members of Nigeria's Hajj Commission, including some State Hajj Commissioners, represented NACOHN.