ABUJA – The Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) said on Thursday that Nigeria’s relationship with Israel would help strengthen its economy through technology exchange, improve security and agriculture.
Its Executive Secretary, Mr John-Kennedy Opara, said this at a Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said Nigeria was the only country that had an organised set up for pilgrimage, stressing that the rewards for the development would soon begin to yield benefits.
“Before now, the relationship between Israel and Nigeria was casual; but now we have discovered that there is something that is binding us together.
“There has been exchange in the area of education, in the area of defence, in the area of security, in the area of agriculture – so many things.
“The Nigerian government is visiting Israel trying to exchange technology with the State of Israel to improve our agricultural system.
“There is a synergy between Nigeria and the State of Israel and it is something that we want to thank God for.“
The executive secretary added that the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) signed between Nigeria and Israel would further boost the growth of businesses in Nigeria.
The NCPC boss said more Nigerian companies would benefit from the commission’s local content initiative in pilgrimage operation, adding that its efforts should not be quantified in spiritual terms alone.
He said the cost of pilgrimage had been slashed from slightly over N400, 000, to N364, 540, representing 12 per cent reduction, stressing that Nigerians would in the near future pay less.
“Business men from Israel can now come directly to Nigeria to invest; businessmen from Nigeria can go to Israel and invest; that is what that pilgrimage brought to us.
“Apart from spiritual gain, we also have the economic benefit.
“In the ground handling programme, we have about four Nigerian companies that are taking part now that I know will add economic value to us.
“Before now there was no Nigerian company; we used to have only foreigners; but we have brought in the local content.
“Now there is employment for our people, there is economic value to our system.“
He said the commission was in partnership with organisations and government agencies in Israel to train Nigerians in specialised areas of agriculture, as part of its value added initiative in pilgrimage operation.
According to Opara, Nigerians who go to Israel for holy pilgrimage do not just go for the pilgrimage alone but they gain knowledge while in Israel.
Opara said that the programme would be designed for the pilgrim’s last five days in Israel and that participants would be issued certificates at the end of the programme.
NCPC now organises three pilgrimage operations in one calendar year, transporting no fewer than 20,000 pilgrims. (NAN)
