Taiwo Jimoh 
Reprieve came for intending Nigerian pilgrims wishing to perform this year’s Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who were yet to complete the upload of their data on the Nusuk Masar platform, as the Saudi Ministry of Haji and Umrah on Tuesday extended the pilgrims data capturing and grouping window for Nigeria. The window for capturing pilgrims’ data on the Nusuk Masar platform for this year had closed on Sunday, February 8.
The Saudi ministry had, during a virtual meeting it held with all Hajj participating countries on Wednesday last week insisted that the February 8 deadline remained unchanged and warned that no extension would be granted after the deadline. The data capturing and pilgrims grouping, according to the ministry, was to enable visa issuance, commenced on February 8 and is expected to end on March 20.
Only on Monday, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) informed Nigerians that the window had closed and therefore, warned intending pilgrims not to make any payments for this year’s Hajj to any individual, group or agency. However, the Commission on Tuesday informed that the Saudi authorities had granted Nigeria an extension, adding that this came on the heels of the Federal Government’s intervention.
NAHCON Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Fatima Sanda Usara, informed that on the instruction of the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shettima, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tugga, had reached out to Saudi authorities to grant special extension to Nigeria to allow for pilgrims data capturing to be completed.
She informed that the Saudi authorities had graciously accepted the request for the extension. “However, it is expected that after expiration of this extension, the Saudi authorities will not accept any further requests for extension emphasizing speedy completion of the process,” she stated. The Hajj commission, therefore, advised Hajj managers to work round the clock with a view to ensuring that the process is completed within the shortest possible time. She noted that this extension came barely 48 hours after the worldwide closure of the Nusuk Masar data capturing platform.
According to Usara, “The content of the circular urged Hajj agencies ‘… to complete and finalize all required pilgrims data as soon as possible to avoid any lastminute issues’.” Though Usara did not specify the duration of the extension, it wa learnt that Saudi authorities only granted Nigeria a sevenday grace within which to complete pilgrims data capturing and grouping and upload same on the Nusuk Masar platform.
