The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it plans to establish a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) database for quick identification and tracking of pilgrims in the event of death.
The Executive Chairman of NAHCON, Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, made the disclosure at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja.
The interactive session was organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT chapter.
Mohammed, who was represented by the Secretary of NAHCON, Dr Bello Tambuwal, said the DNA database would help to address the challenges of identifying victims in case of disaster.
He recalled that during the disaster of 2015 hajj, the commission encountered difficulty in identifying Nigerians pilgrims involved in the stampede.
He said five Nigerian pilgrims were still missing from the disaster since then.
NAHCON scribe explained that the commission would collect blood samples of all pilgrims and deposit them in the blood bank in case of any eventuality.
He also said that the commission had initiated the process of establishing a Hajj Training Institute.
He said the training would be in collaboration with both local and foreign institutions.
According to him, the proposed institute will serve as a professional training centre for all Hajj managers in Nigeria and neighbouring African countries.
The FCT Secretary of the NUJ, Rafat Salami, said the interactive session was part of efforts of the union to promote good governance and transparency in government. (NAN)
SSI/AIB/AFA