The Kebbi State Government has scheduled July 27, 2026, for the third edition of its inclusive mass wedding programme and approved N75 million to cover dowries for 300 brides across the state.
The initiative, being organised in partnership with the Nafisa Nasir Charity Development Foundation, will bring together 300 Muslim and Christian couples selected from the 21 local government areas. Beneficiaries are expected to include eligible orphans, widows and divorcees who satisfy all religious, medical and legal conditions required for marriage.
Chairman of the organising committee and National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Suleiman Muhammad Argungu, announced the date while speaking with journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday.
According to Argungu, Governor Nasir Idris approved N250,000 as dowry support for each bride, bringing the total allocation to N75 million.
He said the programme remains open to all qualified residents regardless of their faith, noting that Christian couples were among the beneficiaries in previous editions.
Argungu described the upcoming ceremony as the third in the series, following the successful marriage of 300 couples in both 2024 and 2025. He added that application forms had already been distributed throughout the state, while various committees had been established to handle security, transportation, health services, religious matters and overall coordination.
He also disclosed that all prospective couples are undergoing mandatory medical screening, including genotype, HIV and pregnancy tests, as well as other legal and religious checks before the marriages are approved.
Beyond paying the dowries, the state government and its partners plan to provide household items such as furniture and food supplies to help the newlyweds settle into family life. Local furniture makers have been engaged to produce beds, wardrobes, sofas and other items for distribution, a move Argungu said has created jobs for carpenters, suppliers and labourers across the state.
The marriages are expected to be formally solemnised by religious clerics on July 27 after all screening procedures have been completed and the approved dowries have been paid.
