From Desmond Mgboh, Kano

The Kano State government has approved the sum of N1.6 billion for the sponsorship of mass wedding (Auren Zaurawa da ‘Yan mata) for intending couples in the state.

The State Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, confirmed the approval in a statement to the press.

Daily Sun reports that in 2023 the administration had sponsored the wedding of 1,800 intending couples involving 3,600 men and women in the state.

Speaking on the development, Deputy Director, Kano State Hisbah Board, Sheikh Mujahid Aminudeen explained that the Board had commenced preparations ahead of the wedding of about 2,000 couples under its mass wedding programme.

“We are planning to conduct a mass wedding of another batch of 2,000 couples as directed by the state government,” he said.

According to him, all such prospective couples who registered must go for medical screening to ascertain their general health status such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, genotype and drug test screening, among others.

The medical screening is also part of the prerequisite arrangement of the mass wedding proceedings, and it’s compulsory because anybody who failed to present himself or herself for the screening will be automatically disqualified,” he said.