The Kano State Hisbah Board says its mass wedding programme, popularly known as “Auren Gata” (marriage for the privileged), is open to Christian couples as well as Muslims, according to the Deputy Commander, Sheikh Mujahideen Aminuddeen.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Aminuddeen said three Christian couples took part in the last edition of the programme, held in October 2023. He said preparations are underway for the next round, though it is not yet clear whether Christian couples will be among the participants this time.
The initiative caters to widows, widowers, divorcees, spinsters and bachelors, and according to Aminuddeen, it plays a central role in strengthening families and curbing immorality in the state. He said it also fulfils the Prophetic injunction encouraging Muslims to marry, discourages street hawking by girls raising money for marriage costs, and reduces vices linked to delayed marriage caused by poverty. He added that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration is particularly focused on orphans and underprivileged families who cannot afford to marry off their daughters, with all beneficiaries screened and verified before selection.
A stakeholder, Sheikh Muhammad Lawan-Yakub, praised the scheme, saying it protects young people from immoral conduct and strengthens social stability, and expressed confidence that counselling and post-marriage guidance from the board would improve marriage success rates and cut down on divorce.
Residents gave mixed reactions. Jamila Suraja said the programme has helped many vulnerable families, though she voiced concern that some past beneficiaries entered the marriages mainly to access government support rather than build genuine homes. Hassan Maikadara said the scheme has opened doors for people who wanted to marry but lacked the means, and helps shield young people from immoral acts.
Economist Dr Abdulsalam Kani said the programme could boost economic activity in the state if well implemented, noting that empowering beneficiaries would help tackle poverty — a major driver of divorce in northern Nigeria — though he cautioned that such empowerment only works if beneficiaries have a trade or skill to build on.
Sociologist Dr Muhammad Hadi-Musa described the mass wedding as one of the most visible social intervention programmes in northern Nigeria, framing it as a public policy response to social realities rather than a mere ceremonial gesture. He said the scheme has helped normalise simpler, more affordable weddings, pushed back against excessive ceremonial spending that delays marriage, and shown that government can play a role in family-support policy beyond infrastructure and economic sectors.
The Commander-General of the Hisbah Board, Sheikh Aminu Daurawa, said the Kano State Government has set aside N1.5 billion for the next mass wedding, which will cover 1,500 couples, though a date has not been fixed. He said preparations are advanced, with intending couples undergoing HIV, hepatitis B, pregnancy and genotype tests to ensure compatibility and good health, and that every groom must be gainfully employed and able to provide accommodation for his bride.
Each couple will receive N1 million in total support — N100,000 to the groom for dowry, N100,000 to the bride as business empowerment capital, plus beds, mattresses, furniture and food items. Daurawa said 5,000 people applied for the programme, out of which 3,000 (1,500 couples) will benefit. He added that any man who marries through the scheme cannot divorce his wife without the board’s consent.
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