Di northern Nigeria city of Kano don turn to one big party ground for di past one week as 1,500 couples join together for mass wedding. Di streets dey buzz with bridal parties and family members wey dey prepare dia outfit and attend different events wey dem arrange for di occasion.
On Friday, di brides wear red hijab, and dia grooms wear matching red hat and white robe. Dem go di palace of di Emir, wey be di traditional Muslim leader for di city, for di main ceremony where dem officially become husband and wife. Di wedding finish on Saturday with one big breakfast wey Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf host, as e offer blessing to di newlyweds.
Di Kano state government sponsor dis programme. Dem spend N1.5 billion, wey be about $1m or £815,000, to support di couples. Dis money cover di bride dowry and furniture for dia first home. Di scheme target low-income people wey no fit afford di heavy cost of marriage.
Di annual event start for 2012 by di then-governor, with 100 couples wey na widows and divorced women. Since dat time, di numbers don increase every year, as demand grow. Dis year, 5,000 couples apply, but only 1,500 dem pick. Di event dey always overseen by Hisbah, di Islamic police force for Kano. One of dia main duty na to vet di couples wey wan wed.
Mujahid Aminudeen, deputy commander-general of Hisbah, admit say di work no easy. “Whenever we find out say there be something dubious or fishy about a couple, we disqualify dem,” e tell BBC. E say some couples go dey do anyhow just to convince dem say dia love genuine, but dia main eye dey on di benefits wey dey on offer.
Di state government don spend approximately N1m (about $735) on each couple. Di support package include mattress, bed, bedsheet, pillow, furniture and food supplies. Each bride dey receive N100,000 as dowry, and another N100,000 as start-up capital to encourage small business and make di couple fit stand on dia own after marriage.
Before any couple go enter di programme, dem must do full medical check-up, including test for HIV, hepatitis, pregnancy and genotype compatibility. Aminudeen reveal say some couple don dey disqualified because dem change dia medical result. For one case, one bride carry im brother come pretend say na im be di groom, just to collect di benefit.
Local journalist Yusuf Ali Abdallah, wey don cover dis mass wedding for many years, say Nigeria economy wey dey struggle dey make applicants desperate dis year. “As we all know, marriage involves spending money and di country economy no bright at di moment,” e tell BBC. “Dis make some people desperate to get on dis list.” E say one couple wey already married even try to present themselves as intending pair, but dem detect am and remove dem from di programme.
Some crooks also don try to take advantage of people wey wan enter di list. One Kano resident wey no want im name make dem know say dem ask am to pay bribe before im fit enter di list. “But to be fair to di organisers, I later find out say those wey ask me for money no be Hisbah staff,” e say. Im and im fiancée no make di list for dis August wedding, but e say e go try again next year.
Aminudeen admit say di Islamic police dey aware of such allegations. “We don find out say some people dey ask others to pay certain money so dem fit make di list,” e say. But e wan assure all those wey dey hope to wed for future say di whole process no go cost dem one naira. “We wan announce to di people of Kano say di whole process na free: from selection to medicals and di goods wey dem set aside for couples – all di government dey cover am.”
One of di successful grooms, 43-year-old clothes trader Rabiu Yusuf, agree say di process smooth for am. “Personally, no-one ask me for anything. Dem tell me say di government go sponsor am all,” e tell BBC. Im new wife na Aisha Auwal, and dem meet as she dey visit im shop to buy clothes. Yusuf, wey already get five pikin with im first wife, say e dey “very happy and can’t wait to start a new life” with im customer-turned-bride.
Twenty-four-year-old Amina Alhassan also talk say she no face any problem when she apply to marry 40-year-old Nura Abdullahi. Dia family arrange di union for Dambatta village before dem present themselves to di Hisbah. “Everything don free and I wan commend di Kano government for dis scheme because without am, many no fit afford to marry due to di high cost of living.”
After Saturday wedding feast, di presentation of household goods begin. But e go take some days before di excitement for Kano go calm down, as di newlyweds dey busy set up dia homes.
