Why Kano govt spent N1.5bn on mass wedding

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir-Yusuf, has explained why his administration spent N1.5 billion on the state’s mass wedding programme, saying the money covered medical screening, dowry, business grants, furniture and food for the couples.

Yusuf disclosed this at the Kano State Government House during a reception and distribution of furniture and other items to couples who participated in the programme weekend.

He said the government provided N100,000 dowry and another N100,000 capital grant to each couple as seed money to start businesses and become self-reliant.

The governor added that the government also provided household furniture and essential items, including beds and mattresses, as well as food and other commodities to support the couples at the beginning of their married lives.

“This expenditure covered medical screening for all the brides and grooms to safeguard their health and that of their future children.

“Similarly, we provided the payment of N100,000 as dowry, in addition to another N100,000 as capital grant to serve as seed capital for starting a business and promoting self-reliance.

“We also provided household furniture and essential items, including beds, mattresses and other necessities to enable the couples to begin their married lives comfortably.

“Government has also provided food items and other essential commodities to cushion the hardship they may encounter during the early days of their marriage,” he said.

Yusuf said the mass wedding programme, known as Auren Gata, was one of the key promises his administration made during the 2023 election campaign across the state’s 44 local government areas.

“Today, we have continued to fulfil that promise. Before this wedding ceremony, all prospective couples underwent a comprehensive screening process.

“This included medical examinations to ascertain their health status, marriage counselling by qualified professionals, and participation in workshops and seminars designed by the Kano State Hisbah Board to prepare them for the responsibilities of married life,” he said.

The governor urged the couples to maintain peace, harmony, mutual respect and understanding in their homes, saying marriage was “an act of worship” that should be conducted in accordance with the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Chairman of the Northwest Governors’ Forum and Katsina State Governor, Umar Dikko-Radda, commended Yusuf for the initiative, describing it as a programme aimed at improving the welfare and living conditions of Kano residents.

Earlier, Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala-Lau, represented by Sheikh Kabir Gombe, said the initiative could help address insecurity and protests allegedly linked to unemployed youths.

Dignitaries at the event included Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, and former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, among others.