The Kano State government said the sum of N2.5 billion has been earmarked for the conduct of mass weddings in the state.
The state’s Commissioner of Planning and Budget, Musa Sulaiman Shanono, stated this while briefing newsmen on the breakdown of the N719.7 billion approved budget for the fiscal year 2025.
Shanono said the money will be used for the conduct of the quarterly mass wedding across the 44 LGAs of the state.
Recall that the mass wedding was first introduced in the state by the two-term former governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso-led administration.
The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)-led government under Governor Abba Yusuf had, in 2023, conducted a mass wedding for over 1,800 couples in the state at the cost of N854 million.
The commissioner further said that the whopping sum of N6.2 billion has also been allocated for free education programme (N4 billion) and free school feeding (N2.2 billion) in the state.
He said the education sector got the lion’s share of the budget with an allocation of N205.9 billion, representing 29% of the total budget size.
According to him, “The 2025 proposed budget tagged “Budget of Hope, Human Capital, and Economic Development” seeks to further consolidate the state government policies that are being implemented in directing resources and efforts to stimulate human capital and economic growth of the state.
“The proposed budget had a total size of N549.1 billion as presented to the State House of Assembly. The House, in line with the provision of the law, has gone into the processes of scrutiny, consultations, and public hearings. The budget was passed into law on Thursday, 20th December 2024, and assented to by His Excellency, the Executive Governor, on 31st December 2024.”