Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, has approved the release of ₦854 million for a mass wedding initiative, he announced on Thursday, August 24, 2023.
The approved sum will cover the first phase of the Auren Zaurawa Mass Wedding Initiative, said the governor who assumed office on May 29.
Yusuf's initiative has raised eyebrows, as critics have noted it's a waste of scarce resources, especially at a time of economic distress sweeping the country. But such mass wedding projects are common with many state governments across Nigeria.
The governor's predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, also sponsored multiple mass weddings during his eight years in office between 2015 and 2023. The former governor used the state's treasury to fund dowries and provided materials like beds, side mirrors, window blinds, plastic carpets, wardrobes and mattresses for couples.
At a mass wedding ceremony organised for 1,520 divorcees in 2017, the Kano government said the exercise would improve the quality of lives of the less-privileged in dire need of marriage.
The approval of the fund for the mass wedding initiative was one in a series of decisions made by Yusuf's Kano State Executive Council during a meeting on Wednesday, August 23.
The council constituted a special committee to settle outstanding pension arrears for retirees from the Kano State Civil Service.
The state executives also approved the rehabilitation of three pedestrian bridges at Bayero University Kano Old Campus, Aminu Kano College of Legal and Islamic Studies, and the Sa'adatu Rimi University of Education.