In the aftermath of the recent network downtime that stalled access to the National Medical Team advertisement released on 7th February 2024, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi, Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), organized a courtesy call to office of Galaxy Backbone, (GBB) the Commission’s ICT service providers, to consolidate the service provision. The visit, today 8th February 2024, aimed to inform GBB management about the anticipated surge in traffic in preparation to the season’s Hajj especially with relation to application portals. The visit was to ensure proactive measures are taken to prevent any disruption in connectivity as preparations heat up.

Highlighting the critical role of ICT in NAHCON’s operations, Chairman Jalal Arabi emphasized that over 70% of the Commission’s engagements rely on digital systems, particularly in light of Saudi Arabia’s digital shift. He stressed the need for NAHCON to stay ahead and urged GBB to prevent bandwidth overload for seamless accessibility. The Chairman highlighted the GBB management of the time constraint the Commission has found itself in that puts the Commission in a tight corner hence has little option of tolerating hitches that would affect meeting of deadlines.

In response, the Acting Managing Director of GBB, AbdulMalik Suleiman agreed with the NAHCON Chairman, expressing the fact that Galaxy Backbone is up to the task. He reaffirmed NAHCON’s status as a premium customer and a representative of Nigeria’s international image in foreign fields therefore care must be taken in such circumstances. He made a commitment to elevate GBB’s services to the Commission to prevent downtime on the NAHCON portal to promote seamless operations. The MD assured that the data center is secured and runs uninterrupted, plus it is resilient against cyber threats, promising a comprehensive review of all services to maintain constant accessibility to NAHCON’s website.

Furthermore, Malam Jalal Arabi and his team visited the Nigeria Immigration Service to secure passport availability in preparation for the year’s pilgrimage, recognizing the significance of international passport usage in fulfilling the Hajj Commission’s mandate. The Chairman described the NIM as partners in this mandate. He called for a desk officer to be assigned to every State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards to attend to any issues that would arise immediately. He said this is essential as Saudi Arabia has set timelines to each activity hence NAHCON cannot afford to lag behind.

The Comptroller General of Immigration, Mrs. Adepoju Caroline Wura-ola, who was unavoidably absent was represented by DCG Usman Babangida, in charge of Human Resources Management Directorate. DCG Babangida assured that the NIS is always ready to render services to NAHCON round the clock in the interest of the nation. He and his team members, especially ACG, A. R Sabo in charge of passports gave his number for immediate contact whenever there are problems. DCG Usman Babangida assured that they will make it a priority to address issues raised by NAHCON as critical stakeholders in their operations.

Fatima Sanda Usara,
Assistant Director, Public Affairs,
NAHCON