By Haruna Aliyu, Birnin Kebbi

A mass wedding was held for more than 300 widows, divorcees, and indigents at the Gwandu Emirate Palace in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday.

The mass wedding, which was organised by the Kebbi state government under Hajia Nafisa Nasir Idris the wife of the Kebbi governor was performed by the NANAS foundation a pet project of Nafisa Idris.

Earlier, the wife of Kebbi governor, Hajia Nasir Idris said that, the mass wedding was intended to reduce the high number of divorces and widows who lost their husbands or had failed marriages, and the poor who could not afford marriage bills are assisted with beds, chairs and kitchen utensils needed to run a home.

She added that it is the responsibility of government to assist the citizenry in the best way it can, hence the reason to organise the mass weddings to give a sense of belonging to divorces, widows, and the poor to know that a welfarist government under Dr Nasir Idris is in place “My husband has said it at several public functions that he will return governance to the people, and he is doing just that through massive projects and welfare to the people of Kebbi State.”.

On the occasion, a total of 21 million naira was paid as dowry to the brides parents with each bride smiling home with seventy thousand naira dowry, a set of chairs, beds, kitchen utensils, and food items.

The mass wedding was attended and presided over by the Kano State’s famous Islamic cleric, Sheik Aminu Daurawa, local government chairmen,, and top political echelons in Kebbi with heavy attendance from Hisbah officials who are part of the organisers who drew the beneficiaries from the 21 local governments.