Kebbi State Government, in collaboration with the Nafisa Nasir Charity Development Foundation (NANAS), has fixed July 27, 2026, for an inclusive mass wedding involving both Muslim and Christian couples drawn from the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
However, prospective couples must fulfil the criteria set by the organising committee to qualify for the ceremony.
Addressing journalists on the proposed mass wedding on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, who is also the National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Suleiman Argungu, recalled that last year’s mass wedding also included Christian couples.
He said:“By the grace of God, we are going to witness a mass wedding of 300 couples.
The ceremony is scheduled for July 27, 2026.
“The mass wedding is open to all, irrespective of religious affiliation. Last year, some Christian couples were also included.
“In Kebbi, we do not discriminate. We have Muslims, Christians and traditionalists. Whoever meets the criteria set by the committee will be considered for the wedding.
“This is the third edition of the mass wedding programme initiated by the state government.
“If you recall, we successfully conducted the maiden edition for 300 couples in 2024 and the second edition in 2025.”
Argungu, a former Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, said the beneficiaries were selected from among orphans, widows and divorcees after fulfilling all the required religious and legal conditions for marriage.
He explained that the committee had distributed application forms to prospective couples across the 21 local government areas.
The committee chairman added that various sub-committees had been constituted to ensure the smooth conduct of the programme.
According to him, the committees cover security, medical services, transportation, religious affairs and general coordination.
He said all prospective couples were undergoing mandatory medical screening, including pregnancy, genotype and HIV tests, in addition to meeting other legal and religious requirements for marriage in the state.
Argungu further disclosed that Governor Nasir Idris had approved the payment of dowries for all 300 couples, with N250,000 to be paid for each bride.
He added that the state government and its partners would also provide the newly married couples with furniture, food items and other household materials to help them establish stable homes.
Argungu said:“Local furniture makers have been engaged to produce beds, wardrobes, sofas and other household items for distribution to the beneficiaries.”
According to him, the initiative has also created employment opportunities across the state, as carpenters, suppliers and labourers have been engaged both individually and collectively.
He added that the July 27 ceremony would formally solemnise the marriages, with religious clerics officiating after the payment of the N250,000 dowry for each bride.
