The Sokoto State Government will conduct mass wedding for 100 couples in the next one month.
The state Commissioner of Religious Affairs, Alhaji Mani Katami, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Sokoto that government would spend N32 million on the exercise.
“ We are expecting the report of the main committee set up for the purpose of planning of the mass wedding.
“ The main committee is overseeing the activities of other sub-committees such those on security and medical screening.
“Afterward, we would organise a one-week training on skills acquisition for the would-be couples,” he said.
The commissioner said that the state government would pay the bride price of all the 100 would-be brides.
In the same vein, each of the brides would be given bridal materials such as beds, mattresses, bedding and other household items.
” Each of the brides and grooms would also be given seed capital to enable them to start small scale businesses.
” Measures have also been taken to routinely monitor the marital lives of the couples to ensure the sustainability of the marriage.
” We are taking all necessary measures to conduct the planned mass wedding in accordance with the Islamic Sharia, ” Katami said.
The state government had on Jan. 24, 2014, spent N30 million on the mass wedding of 125 couples.
Mass weddings sponsored by governments have become commonplace in some states in northern Nigerian.
Kano state, for instance, has been sponsoring mass wedding with latest being the wedding of 4,395 couples.
The state government conducted the wedding through the Hisba Board which registered all interested couples in the state.
Dr Abba Sufi, the Director-General of the board, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Hisba offices in 41 local government areas was involved.
