The Kano State government has allocated N2.5 billion for the sponsorship of mass weddings in 2025.
Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Musa Sulaiman Shanono, disclosed this while addressing journalists on the breakdown of the state’s N719.7 billion budget for the year.
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He explained that the fund will cover the expenses of quarterly mass weddings across the state’s 44 local government areas.
The initiative was first introduced during the administration of former Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. In 2023, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) government under Governor Abba Yusuf facilitated the wedding of over 1,800 couples, spending N854 million on the program.
Shanono further revealed that N6.2 billion has been earmarked for free education and school feeding, with N4 billion allocated for education and N2.2 billion dedicated to feeding students in public schools.
According to him, the education sector received the highest allocation in the budget, with N205.9 billion, accounting for 29% of the total spending plan.
He stated that the 2025 budget, themed “Budget of Hope, Human Capital, and Economic Development,” was presented to the State House of Assembly and passed into law on December 20, 2024. Governor Abba Yusuf gave his final approval on December 31, 2024.
The initial budget proposal stood at N549.1 billion but was later increased by N170.6 billion, representing a 31% rise. The total budget is also 65% higher than the 2024 budget, with an increment of N282.4 billion.
For 2025, the state projects a total recurrent revenue of N617 billion, comprising N85.8 billion from internally generated revenue (IGR) and N531 billion from federal allocations. However, the state’s IGR estimate dropped by N16 billion (15.8%) compared to 2024.
Shanono added that N91.3 billion has been allocated for various programs and services across different sectors, including N500 million for a free afternoon meal program in primary schools and N2.5 billion for the mass wedding program scheduled to take place every quarter.
