Kebbi invests n150m in mass wedding programme for vulnerable couples

State-Sponsored Mass Wedding Initiative

President Bola Tinubu's daughter, Mujidat Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, joined dignitaries in Kebbi State on Monday as Governor Nasir Idris conducted a mass wedding for 600 vulnerable couples. The state government provided N150 million as dowry support for the participants, marking the third edition of the mass wedding programme aimed at supporting the less privileged.

The event attracted prominent political leaders, traditional and religious figures, and first ladies from across the country. Serving as the special guest of honour, Tinubu-Ojo symbolically presented dowries and marriage certificates to selected couples to officially commence the ceremony. She commended the state leadership for sustaining the initiative as a tool for social intervention.

I commend Governor Idris and his wife for the honour done to me and for organising this important event. I urge the newly married couples to live above board and build their homes on love, understanding and mutual respect.

— Mujidat Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, Daughter of the President/Special Guest of Honour, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Financial Support and Dowry Distribution

Governor Nasir Idris announced that the state had allocated N150 million to cover the dowries of the 600 couples, with each couple receiving N250,000. The governor reiterated that his administration remains committed to supporting vulnerable residents through programmes that strengthen family structures and enhance social stability within the state.

During the formal presentation to selected brides, the governor emphasized the religious and legal framework of the union. The initiative was organised and implemented through the NANAS Foundation, which serves as the pet project of the Kebbi State First Lady, Hajia Nafisa Nasir Idris.

We present to you dowries of two hundred and fifty thousand so could be join in marriage as husband and wife as permitted in Islam.

— Nasir Idris, Governor, Kebbi State

Stakeholder Endorsements and Moral Guidance

The ceremony was attended by several high-ranking figures, including the First Lady of Katsina State, Fatima Umar Dikko Radda, and the First Lady of Jigawa State, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu. In a further show of support for the newly married couples, Dr Bagudu donated N15 million to the 600 couples to enhance their marital welfare, while several other public office holders made additional cash donations.

To provide spiritual and marital counsel, a group of Islamic scholars delivered sermons focusing on the responsibilities of marriage. Professor Mansur Sokoto, Sheikh Abdurahman Isa Jega, and Sheikh Aminu Daurawa urged the couples to uphold Islamic teachings and maintain peace in their homes. The mass wedding initiative is specifically designed to ease the financial burdens associated with marriage for vulnerable individuals in Kebbi State.