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Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has defended the Kano State Government’s N1.5 billion mass wedding programme, saying it is a legitimate and responsible act of governance under Shariah law.
The Kaduna-based cleric stated this in a Facebook post on Thursday after the programme attracted criticism on social media.
Gumi argud that in a Shariah-driven state where prostitution, fornication, adultery and promiscuity are prohibited by both divine and state laws, government intervention to facilitate marriage becomes necessary.
“In a Shariah law-driven state, where prostitution, fornication, adultery, and promiscuity are prohibited by both divine and state laws, using public funds to facilitate the marriage of women who are in excess of the available pool of eligible men, or of any young person in dire need of marriage, is a legitimate and responsible component of good governance,” Gumi said.
The Kano State Government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has earmarked N1.5 billion for its 2026 mass wedding programme tagged Auren Gata.
According to the state’s Hisbah Board, the programme targets about 1,500 to 3,000 couples across Kano.
Each couple is expected to receive benefits worth about N1 million, including wedding attire, furniture, food items, and a cash package.
Specifically, each bride receives N100,000 as dowry and another N100,000 as capital grant to start a small business, while grooms also get N100,000 for dowry.
Beneficiaries also get beds, mattresses and other household items.
The state government said the initiative is part of its social intervention to support less-privileged couples, widows and divorcees, and to ease the financial burden of marriage.
