The Kano State Government has granted approval for the allocation of N854 million towards a mass wedding program aimed at assisting vulnerable individuals in the state.
This announcement was made by the state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, through his social media account on Thursday..
Governor Yusuf revealed that the decision was reached during the state executive council meeting held on Wednesday.
He stated, “Also from yesterday’s meeting, the Kano State Executive Council has approved the following: The release of the sum of 854 million Naira for the first phase of the Auren Zaurawa Mass Wedding Initiative.”
The recent declaration follows an earlier statement by the state’s Hisbah board, represented by its commandant, Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa that the board has made preparations to conduct a mass wedding event for 1,020 couples who have expressed their interest in the program.
Daurawa said the primary objective of the mass wedding initiative was to assist intending couples who face financial constraints preventing them from covering the costs associated with marriage.
He outlined the selection process, stating that each intending couple must successfully pass various tests, including HIV, pregnancy, genotype, and drugs tests.
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“This time around the couples must pass through four different tests which include: HIV test, pregnancy test, genotype and drugs test. We cannot consider anybody that didn’t pass these tests. We are doing this to assist the couples to live peacefully and have a happy marriage. But if someone is into drugs or has a particular illness then there is a problem,” he said.
He added that 20 couples will be selected from each of the 44 LGAs of the state and that the remaining 120 couples will be selected by the board.
Daurawa explained that 20 couples will be chosen from each of the 44 local government areas of the state, while the board will select the remaining 120 couples.
This initiative is not the first of its kind in Kano State. In 2019, during the administration of former governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, N30 million was allocated to organize a mass wedding event for 1,500 individuals.
In the previous mass wedding, N20,000 was given by the state government as bride price for every bride, amounting to N30m for the selected 1,500 couples.