Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has defended the use of public funds to support marriages in northern Nigeria, describing government-backed wedding schemes as a legitimate responsibility in a society governed by Shariah principles.
Gumi made the position known in a Facebook post while reacting to the recent state-sponsored mass wedding initiative in Kano, where the government facilitated marriages for vulnerable couples.
He argued that government intervention to help young people who cannot afford to marry should not be viewed simply as expenditure on private ceremonies. According to him, such intervention could help address social problems associated with unmarried young people in a society where sexual relationships outside marriage are prohibited.
‘In a Shariah law-driven state, where prostitution, fornication, adultery, and promiscuity are prohibited by both divine and state laws, using public funds to facilitate the marriage of women who are in excess of the available pool of eligible men, or of any young person in dire need of marriage, is a legitimate and responsible component of good governance,’ Gumi wrote.
His comments came after the Kano State Government sponsored a mass wedding involving 1,500 couples under its Marriage Social Welfare Initiative, popularly known as ‘Auren Gata’.
The programme, implemented through the Kano State Hisbah Board, was designed primarily to assist people from low-income and vulnerable backgrounds, including widows, divorcees and young people who could not afford the cost of getting married.
The state government had earmarked about N1.5 billion for the programme, with each selected couple receiving a support package valued at roughly N1 million. The package includes household items, food, dowry assistance and empowerment support.
Officials said each bride would receive N100,000 as empowerment capital, while another N100,000 would be provided towards the groom’s payment of dowry. The beneficiaries were also subjected to medical screening, including tests for HIV, hepatitis, genotype compatibility and pregnancy.
The initiative is not new in Kano. The state has previously organised government-supported mass weddings as part of efforts to encourage marriage and provide assistance to vulnerable residents. Officials have described the programme as a social welfare intervention aimed at strengthening families and promoting social stability.
The Kano Hisbah Board has also said participation is voluntary. Prospective couples are required to indicate their mutual consent and obtain the necessary endorsements before being considered for the programme.
Gumi’s intervention places the programme within a broader religious argument, presenting marriage as a means of addressing social problems in communities where sexual relations outside marriage are prohibited.