Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir-Yusuf, says his administration has spent more than N1.5bn on the state’s mass wedding programme, covering medical screening, dowries, furniture and other forms of support for participating couples.
The governor disclosed this on Saturday at the Kano State Government House during a reception and distribution of furniture and other items to the newly married couples.
Yusuf said the expenditure was part of the government’s efforts to ensure the success of the programme and provide comprehensive support to the beneficiaries as they begin their married lives.
He said all participating brides and grooms underwent medical screening as part of measures to safeguard their health and that of their future children.
According to him, the government also provided N100,000 as dowry for each couple and an additional N100,000 capital grant to enable them to establish small businesses and become economically self-reliant.
The governor said household furniture and essential items, including beds and mattresses, were also distributed to the couples.
“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 urged the newlyweds to build their homes on peace, mutual respect, patience and understanding.
He reminded them that marriage was “an act of worship” and encouraged them to conduct their marital lives in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.
The governor said the Auren Gata mass wedding programme was one of the key promises made by his administration during the 2023 election campaign across the state’s 44 local government areas.
“Today, we have continued to fulfil that promise,” he said.
Yusuf said prospective couples underwent a screening process before participating in the wedding, including medical examinations, marriage counselling and workshops organised by the Kano State Hisbah Board.
He said the sessions were designed to prepare the couples for the responsibilities associated with marriage.
Congratulating the newlyweds, the governor urged them to put the lessons from the counselling sessions into practice by treating each other with patience, fairness and respect.
“As you were repeatedly advised during the counselling sessions, I urge you to be patient with one another, to uphold justice and fairness in your homes, to respect one another, and to live together in peace, harmony, and mutual understanding,” he said.
The 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 residents.
Also speaking, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abdullahi Bala-Lau, represented by Sheikh Kabir Gombe, said the initiative could contribute to addressing insecurity and protests involving unemployed young people by providing support for marriage and economic self-reliance.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that dignitaries at the event included Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi and former Kano State governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, among others.
