Hajj: Nigerian pilgrims walk to Mina ahead of Arafat

Nigerian pilgrims on Thursday evening began their slow and steady walk to the tent city of Mina ahead of the day of Arafat scheduled for Saturday.

The holy city of Makkah reverberated with chants of “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik” (O God, here I am answering your call).

Over 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world readied themselves for once in a lifetime journey of faith.

The pilgrims will spend the Tarwiyah day on Friday, in the sprawling tent city, marking the beginning of this year’s Hajj.

They will spend the Tarwiyah day in prayers and meditation in their tents in preparation for Saturday’s standing at Arafat, the pinnacle of the annual pilgrimage of hajj.

According to the Saudi Gazette, the Saudi authorities have mobilized all their human and material resources to make the pilgrimage hassle-free and a great success.

The security authorities have completed all their flawless preparations to ensure the safety of pilgrims and security of the Hajj operation.

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has mobilized more than 2,000 employees to provide water services for pilgrims.

The daily pumping rate exceeds 750,000 cubic meters in Makkah and reaches one million cubic meters at peak times on the Day of Arafat and Eid Al-Adha.

The Ministry of Transport and Logistics prepared the flexible rubber asphalt initiative in the pedestrian walkways in the Holy Sites for Hajj this year.

The Head of Nigeria’s Medical Team for the 2024 Hajj, urged pilgrims to drink water regularly to avoid dehydration, saying they need to drink more than two litres of water daily.

He said the temperature in the Holy land may likely rise up to 48 degree Celsius.