The administration of Abba Yusuf has announced plans to organise another mass wedding for selected residents in Kano State.
The Kano State Hisbah Board confirmed the development in a statement on Friday, revealing that preparations will begin with medical screening for about 3,000 prospective couples.
According to the board’s Deputy Commander-General, Mujahedeen Aminudeen, the programme will involve 1,500 men and 1,500 women who have been shortlisted for the initiative.
He explained that the screening is aimed at assessing the health status of participants before the marriages are conducted, with tests covering HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, genotype compatibility, and substance use.
Aminudeen noted that the exercise is essential to ensuring healthy unions and preventing future medical complications.
He added that the initiative, organised by the Kano State Government, is primarily targeted at vulnerable groups, including widows, divorcees, and unmarried women.
The government will also provide support to beneficiaries, with each bride expected to receive a bed set with mattresses and pillows, along with ₦100,000 cash to help start a small business after receiving the same amount as dowry.
Participation in the medical screening is compulsory, and anyone who fails to take part will be disqualified from the programme.
The mass wedding scheme was originally introduced during the tenure of former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as part of efforts to support disadvantaged women and address social challenges in the state.