The Kano State government has budgeted N2,500,000,000.00 for quarterly mass marriages across the state’s 44 local government areas in 2025.
Musa Shanono, the State’s Commissioner for Planning and Budget, announced this while briefing journalists on the breakdown of the State’s 2025 budget, which was approved by the State House of Assembly on Friday, January 31.
According to him, the government intends to spend N91.32 billion in the governance and service delivery sectors for initiatives and services, including the mass wedding.
He stated that the pledge was to strengthen responsibility, transparency, and the defense of human rights, as well as to create a fair society for long-term progress and to improve citizens’ living conditions.
Shanono stated that N1,000,000,000 has been set aside for Ramadan feeding, N955,000,000 for a manpower statistics survey, a general household survey, and out-of-school children statistics, and N1,049,000,000 for the purchase of a printing machine, the rehabilitation/repair of the general water system, and the purchase of library equipment from the Government Printing Press.
He further stated that N267,615,310.86 has been budgeted for infrastructure provision and equipping, production and printing of the Islamic calendar, and support for the Islamic Da’wah program/welfare package for new converts to Islam.
Others include N589,000,000 for security research and empowerment development, street begging special intervention coordination activities, and N200,000,000 for office furniture procurement, general maintenance of the accountant-general’s office, and the development of PFM software and reform activities, among others.
The Commissioner, on the other hand, highlighted that the approved 2025 budget has a total size of N719,755, 417,663:00, representing an increase of N170,595,000:00, or 31% over what Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf initially submitted to the State House of Assembly, which was N549,160, 417,663.00.
While noting that the entire recurrent expenditure is N262,670,660,562:65 and the total capital expenditure is N457,084,757,100:35, Shanono stated that the budget is N282,417,104,875:07 greater than that of 2024, representing a 65% increase.
The Kano government may want to reconsider some of their expenditures and focus the state’s resources on more pressing issues.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
