Kano Mass Wedding: Man Marries Third Wife Through Government-Sponsored Programme

A beneficiary of the Kano State Government’s mass wedding programme, Dantani Aruba, has expressed excitement after marrying his third wife through the initiative.

Aruba spoke at the mass wedding ceremony on Saturday, saying the government-sponsored programme had made it easier for him to expand his family without bearing the full financial burden usually associated with marriage.

In a video recorded by NewsCentralTV on Monday and subsequently shared online, Aruba proudly disclosed that he had taken another wife, bringing the number of his wives to three.

“I just married another wife, and I am happy that I have married another one. My wives are now three,” he said.

Aruba was among the beneficiaries of the mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government as part of its efforts to support residents who may struggle to meet the financial demands of marriage.

The programme, implemented under Governor Abba Yusuf, saw 1,500 couples married at a reported cost of N1.5bn.

Coordinated by the Kano State Hisbah Board, the initiative targets people from low-income backgrounds, including widows, widowers, divorcees, spinsters and bachelors.

The state government said the funds allocated to the programme would cover dowry, empowerment support and essential household items for the beneficiaries.

Each participating couple is expected to receive assistance including dowry, furniture, food items and other materials to help them establish their new homes.

Popularly known as Auren Gata, the programme was introduced in Kano in 2012 by the administration of former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The inaugural exercise involved 100 couples, many of whom were widows and divorcees, who were married at the palace.

The 2026 edition also accommodated beneficiaries entering polygamous marriages, in line with Islamic practice