By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi,Abuja

A faith-based registered Civil Society Organization, CSO, that reports and advocates for workable Hajj policies, the Independent Hajj Reporters, IHR, has called on the States’ Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, SMPWBs to conduct a special enlightenment programme to intending pilgrims on Saudi Arabian currency denominations.

The group, in a statement signed and released on Friday by its national coordinator Ibrahim Muhammad, said: “Now that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has approved the payment of 2025 Hajj BTA via cash payment in US dollars, we call on States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, agencies and Commission to organize a special enlightenment program to educate Nigerian pilgrims on currency denominations especially on the exchange rates between US dollars and Saudi Riyals.”

It added: “Most of the Nigerian pilgrims are not conversant with foreign currencies especially US dollars and Saudi Riyals, and can hardly identify the value of each denomination unless they are guided during hajj, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims engage in financial transactions.

“Given the above, Nigerian pilgrims should also be shown the Saudi Riyals currency denomination so that they can be able to identify such whenever they need to change US dollars to Saudi Riyals or make a purchase using either of the two currency denominations.

“This call is important due to past experiences where some dubious Saudi-based individuals shortchanged our dear pilgrims whenever they make purchases or try to convert their BTA to US dollars.”

IHR warned that Nigerian female pilgrims who patronize unregulated dental services to change their teeth as soon as they arrive in Madinah are more vulnerable to being shortchanged.

The group also pleaded with airlines to use the onboard educational system to educate pilgrims on the same subject as a way of corporate social responsibility to help mitigate the risks of financial losses on the part of intending pilgrims.

“Understanding denomination in today’s currency circulation is crucial as it serves as the foundation of all monetary transactions worldwide. It will enable pilgrims to comprehend the value of their BTA.

“According to the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia, SAMA, the most-exchanged foreign currencies during Hajj are the US dollar, the euro, the Singapore dollar, the Indian rupee, the Indonesian rupiah, the Emirati dirham and the Malaysian ringgi,” IHR stated.