TAJBank Limited, Nigeria’s biggest non-interest bank by asset base, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) on the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS).

The Managing Director/CEO of TAJBank Limited, Mr. Hamid Joda, who spoke on the pact at the weekend during a virtual chat with journalists, maintained that the pact would further enable TAJBank to extend the frontiers of its socio-economic interventions to aspiring pilgrims nationwide, particularly at a time when airfares are surging and potential pilgrims are finding it challenging to cope with the rising costs of pilgrimage.

He said, “Let me say that the MoU with the NAHCON on the Hajj Savings Scheme (HSS) aligns with our mission to support the needy in Nigeria. So, with this deal, TAJBank will explore its strong digital platforms and physical networks in our branches to take the HSS to the grassroots and enable intending pilgrims to access funds at ease for their travels.

“We are going to avail the opportunity created by our partnership with the NAHCON to demonstrate to Muslims intending to go on Hajj to consider TAJBank as their preferred choice among other lenders as we shall be offering them a truly seamless, ethically grounded savings pathway, and technologically advanced savings solutions, built on the principles of Islamic finance to ensure that the pilgrims enjoy hitch-free Hajj and benefit from our relationship with them on a sustainable basis.”

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony, the NAHCON Chairman, Prof.Abdullahi Usman, noted that the HSS had created a structured pathway for pilgrims in the country, recalling that in the past, many prospective pilgrims were eager to enrol but limited by inadequate awareness of funding.

According to him, with the collaboration with TAJBank and other non-interest banks on the HSS, the commission will rev up its sensitisation efforts through the Ulama, traditional and digital media platforms, to enlighten the public on the long-term benefits of the scheme.