The Federal Government has pegged the exchange rate for Christians and Muslims on this year’s pilgrimage to Israel and Saudi Arabia at N150 to $1 instead of about N165.
President Goodluck Jonathan also approved 30,000 Christians for this year’s pilgrimage to Israel.
Niger State has 700 slots.
The Executive Secretary of Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), Mr. John Kennedy Okpara, spoke yestrday in Minna, the Niger State capital, when he visited Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu.
The agency chief said since 2012, the Federal Government had been intervening in the exchange rate to enable Nigerians perform their spiritual obligations.
Okpara recalled that last year, the exchange rate was pegged at N145, when the official rate was N155 to a dollar.
He said: “Just last week, President Jonathan graciously approved the exchange rate for Christian and Muslim pilgrims at N150, when the official rate now is between N160 and N165, for this year’s pilgrimage to the holy lands.”
Okpara said of the 30,000 pilgrims approved for this year’s pilgrimage, 700 come from Niger State.
The agency chief said he was in Minna because of Aliyu’s magnanimity to Christian pilgrims since 2007.
He said there was a plan to use the Minna airport to convey pilgrims from the state, adding that this would be done after the airline engaged for the October/December pilgrimage would have inspected and approved the airport.
Aliyu hailed the Federal Government for pegging the exchange rate at N150.
He said the decision would enable more pilgrims to do their religious obligations.
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