About 1,500 couples from low income backgrounds have tied the knot in a Kano State Government sponsored mass wedding organised as part of the administration’s social intervention programme.
The wedding, coordinated by the Kano State Hisbah Board, was held at the Emir’s Palace and other designated locations across the state between August 7 and 8, 2026.
The programme, introduced under the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, was designed to reduce the financial burden associated with marriage and support vulnerable residents, including widows, widowers, divorcees, orphans, spinsters and bachelors.
One of the grooms, Dantani Aruba, expressed happiness after marrying his third wife.
“I just married another wife, and I am happy that I have married another one. My wives are now three,” he said.
Another groom, Umar Abdullah, said the mass wedding marked his first marriage and disclosed that his bride was 17 years old.
“This is my first marriage. I am marrying a 17-year-old. I’m very happy today,” Abdullah said.
The government reportedly allocated about N1.5 billion to the programme, with each participating couple receiving a support package valued at about N1 million.
The packages included dowry support, household items and funds to establish small businesses. Beneficiaries also received items such as beds, mattresses, pillows, wardrobes, furniture, blankets, rugs and food supplies.
The couples underwent medical screening and counselling as part of the programme, with tests covering HIV, hepatitis and genotype compatibility, while pregnancy tests were also conducted in some cases.
Thousands of people reportedly applied for the programme, with the Hisbah Board screening applicants to determine their eligibility and establish that they were genuinely prepared for marriage.
Governor Yusuf represented the groom during the symbolic wedding ceremony, while the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, represented the brides. The Chief Imam of Kano officiated the ceremony.
Officials urged the couples to build their marriages on faith, patience and mutual respect, while warning against hasty divorce.
The mass wedding programme continues a tradition introduced in Kano in 2012 under former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Among the beneficiaries was 62-year-old man who took a second wife, while some widows also remarried through the programme.
A widower, Haruna Bashir, who reportedly lost his wife and children in an attack earlier in 2026, received additional support, including a house, Hajj sponsorship and a new wife.
The initiative has attracted praise for assisting financially disadvantaged residents who might otherwise struggle to afford marriage. However, it has also generated debate over government spending priorities and concerns surrounding the age of some brides, particularly amid wider scrutiny of marriage practices involving minors in northern Nigeria.
