The Kano State Government has directed the Hisba Board to begin preparations for a mass wedding involving no fewer than 2,000 couples, an official said on Thursday.
Sheikh Mujahid Aminudeen, Deputy Commander-General of the Hisba Board, said arrangements were underway following directives from Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
“We are planning to conduct a mass wedding of another batch of 2,000 couples as directed by the state government under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf,” Aminudeen said.
He did not disclose the date for the ceremony but said the process would include several stages, starting with registration and medical screening.
“All prospective couples interested in the wedding must register before participating. The medical screening — which includes HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, genotype, and drug tests — is compulsory, and anyone who fails to undergo it will be disqualified,” he added.
Governor Yusuf’s administration reintroduced the mass wedding programme earlier this year as part of efforts to support indigent couples, widows, divorcees, and unmarried women whose families cannot afford marriage expenses.
Officials say the initiative is also intended to curb prostitution and other social vices among young women and widows in the predominantly Muslim state.