ICYMI: Kano govt approves ₦2.5bn for mass wedding amid worsening poverty, hunger

Kano State Government has allocated ₦2.5 billion for a mass wedding programme in 2025, despite concerns over poverty and food insecurity.

The initiative, targeting widows, widowers, divorcees, and unmarried individuals across 44 local government areas, is part of the ₦91.32 billion budget earmarked for governance and service delivery.

The Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Musa Sulaiman Shanono, disclosed this while presenting a breakdown of the 2025 fiscal appropriation.

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He noted that while the exact number of beneficiaries has not been revealed, a similar programme in 2024 saw ₦845 million spent on 1,800 couples.

In addition to the mass wedding programme, the government has earmarked ₦1 billion for the Ramadan feeding initiative and ₦267 million for printing the Islamic calendar and Da’awah activities.

On security, Shanono stated that ₦589 million would be used for research, empowerment, and tackling street begging.

Furthermore, ₦19.5 billion has been set aside for security, law, and justice, including ₦500 million for installing CCTV cameras at courts and ₦875 million for rehabilitating magistrate office buildings.

Healthcare also received significant attention, with ₦2.3 billion allocated for constructing new intensive care units at major hospitals.

An additional ₦2.4 billion will be spent on implementing a minimal service package investment plan, and ₦1 billion has been set aside for a basic healthcare provision fund.

While the government defends the budget as a means to improve citizens' welfare, the allocation of billions for mass weddings has sparked debate amid rising hunger and economic hardship.