Kano mass wedding beneficiary celebrates after taking third wife

A beneficiary of the Kano State Government-sponsored mass wedding programme, Dantani Aruba, has expressed joy after marrying another woman through the initiative, bringing the number of his wives to three.

Aruba spoke during the mass wedding ceremony held in Kano on Saturday.

In a video recorded by NewsCentralTV and shared on Monday, Aruba said the programme had enabled him to expand his family without shouldering the financial burden usually 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.

Aruba was among 1,500 couples who participated in the mass wedding sponsored by the Kano State Government under Governor Abba Yusuf.

The programme, coordinated by the Kano State Hisbah Board, is designed to support people who may struggle to afford marriage, including widows, widowers, divorcees, spinsters and bachelors.

The state government reportedly committed N1.5bn to the 2026 mass wedding, with the funds covering dowry, empowerment support, furniture, food items and other household materials for beneficiaries.

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.

The 2026 edition also included beneficiaries entering polygamous marriages in accordance with Islamic practice.