As nations await Saudi authorities final decision on the 2020 Hajj, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has assured that the health and safety of Nigerian pilgrims will not be compromised.

A statement by NAHCON’s Assistant Director for Information and Publication, Mousa Ubandawaki, Saturday, said the commissioner in charge of Operations, Licensing and Tour operators, Alhaji Abdullahi Hardawa, gave the assurance while fielding questions from journalists in his office.

Hardawa stressed that lives and safety of the pilgrims is more important and paramount than any other consideration.

On the commission’s position on the Hajj 2020, especially against the background of limited time to its commencement, the commissioner said NAHCON is consulting with relevant stakeholders in the country to come up with advisory paper to guide the Federal Government in taking final decisions.

Hardawa explained that before the suspension of the 2020 Hajj arrangements by the Saudi authorities, the commission had made tremendous progress in the pricing and conduct of flight planning arrangement, which had resulted in the reduction of cost paid to service providers to the tune of N3b, for which the Federal Government had praised the new board.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic might have eroded the initial achievements, as transportation and accommodation arrangements hitherto made may have to be adjusted in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) safety protocol, to which Nigeria is a signatory.