A beneficiary of the Kano State Government-sponsored mass wedding, Dantani Aruba, has expressed excitement after marrying a third wife under the initiative.
Aruba, who spoke during the mass wedding ceremony, said the government-backed programme had enabled him to expand his family without bearing the financial burden traditionally associated with marriage.
“I just married another wife, and I am happy that I have married another one. My wives are now three,” he said in a video recorded by NewsCentralTV and trending on Monday.
Aruba was among 1,500 couples whose marriages were sponsored by the Kano State Government as part of efforts to assist residents who may be unable to afford the cost of marriage.
The state government, led by Governor Abba Yusuf, reportedly committed N1.5bn to the 2026 mass wedding, with the programme coordinated by the Kano State Hisbah Board.
The initiative targets beneficiaries from low-income backgrounds, including widows, widowers, divorcees, spinsters and bachelors.
Under the programme, beneficiaries receive support covering dowry, furniture, food items and other household materials, alongside empowerment assistance to help them establish their homes.
Known as Auren Gata, the mass wedding initiative was introduced in Kano in 2012 by the then Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, when 100 couples, mainly widows and divorcees, were married at the palace.
The programme has continued under successive administrations, with the number of beneficiaries increasing over the years in response to demand.
The 2026 edition also accommodated beneficiaries entering polygamous marriages, in line with Islamic practice.