The Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) has pledged to subsidise the travel expenses of intending Christian pilgrims.
The Federal Commissioner representing the North-Central zone at the NCPC, Simon Dolly, made this known during a visit to the Plateau State Pilgrims Board in Jos.
He stated that the Federal Government would provide financial support to reduce the cost of pilgrimage travel for participants.
According to him, the initiative is designed to ease the financial burden on intending pilgrims, especially those sponsoring themselves.
“The good news is that the Federal Government will also provide additional intervention for travel. What pilgrims are currently paying is almost half, while the government covers the remaining part,” he said.
Dolly added that available funds for the scheme were nearly exhausted but assured that further intervention was expected for this year’s pilgrimage exercise.
He explained that with the subsidy in place, the cost per pilgrim could reduce from about N7 million to N3.5 million, depending on participation levels.
He also encouraged the board to broaden its sponsorship base by involving individuals, business owners, and political representatives in order to reduce reliance on government funding.
In response, the Chairman of the Plateau Pilgrims Board, Bishop Jwan Zhumbes, expressed appreciation to the NCPC for its continued support to the state.
“We are grateful for your consistent support to Plateau State. I assure you that the board is working diligently to improve service delivery for pilgrims,” he said.
Other attendees at the meeting included the Executive Secretary of the board, Rev. Yusuf Bagu, and the representative of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Gayi Timothy, among others.
