Nigeria: Mass wedding sees 1,500 couples tie the knot in Kano State

There have been celebrations in the capital of Nigeria’s northern Kano State as officials married 1,500 couple in a mass wedding on Friday.

The regional government has described the two-day event as a way to help low-income families cover marriage costs and support social stability.

According to state officials, the nuptials were funded by the state's social welfare programme and brought together couples from all 44 local government areas.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf signed off on the initiative and put up about $1.1 million to sponsor it.

One of the grooms, Abubakar Aliyu Musa, said he chose to be part of the ceremony to make things easy for both his and the bride’s family.

“The whole idea for the marriage is to help our families and we husbands who are not financially stable to marry. That’s why the government is helping us get married.”

Getting selected wasn't automatic. All 1,500 couples went through medical screening first, including HIV and hepatitis tests and genotype compatibility checks.

“If it wasn’t for the mass wedding, I wouldn’t have gotten married even in the next five years due to the hardship of life”, said groom Samini Tijani Isa.

The ceremony itself was held at Kano's central mosque, with marriages solemnized under Islamic rites.

Women waited outside while male participants and officials handled the proceedings, which took place in the governor's presence.

State officials say the goal is to lighten the financial load on families and give couples a start on building their households.

Beyond the wedding itself, the new couples are meant to receive furniture, food, other household items, and some financial support.