By Abdulmalik Suleiman
Kano State once again demonstrated what purposeful leadership looks like. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, with the full backing of traditional rulers, Islamic scholars, and North West governors, successfully conducted another mass wedding programme. To call it just a wedding is to miss the point. Mass wedding is a reorientation of society. It is a deliberate government intervention to reset our values, strengthen our families, and protect the next generation from social decay. For Kano, and indeed all northern states, it is one of the most practical steps we can take to eradicate societal ills.
Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf is a leader who understands the yearnings of his people. Conducting mass wedding is a direct response to the clarion call of the people he leads, and he must be commended for it. In a time when the cost of marriage has become a major barrier for our youths, the government stepped in to remove that burden and restore dignity to the process.
Economic hardship has delayed marriage for thousands of young men and women. When marriage becomes unaffordable, the vacuum is filled by idleness, immorality, drug abuse, and an increase in out-of-wedlock births. The family unit, the bedrock of society, is under threat. The Kano model confronts this head-on by sponsoring hundreds of couples at once. It tells our young people that their culture matters, their faith matters, and that society will help them do the right thing.
There is also a deeper social benefit that we cannot ignore. A family man and woman hardly indulge in crime and social vices, and even if they do, it is minimal. Marriage engages free minds and channels energy into family responsibility. When a young man has a wife and children to provide for, he thinks twice before joining a gang or abusing drugs. When a young woman has a home to build, she focuses on nurturing rather than on destructive habits. In this sense, mass wedding is an opportunity to sanitize the society. It converts potential liabilities into responsible citizens, and that is why the investment pays off in security, health, education, and community peace.
We must also understand that every society differs in culture, ethics and religion. What works in Kano may not have the same meaning in Bayelsa, Anambra or Ekiti. A man in those states may not fully grasp how important and appreciable mass wedding is in the entire North because our social structure, religious values, and communal expectations are different. Here in the North, marriage is not just a personal affair. It is a religious obligation, a cultural identity, and a community stabilizer. That is why government intervention in this area is not only welcome, it is necessary.
The broad support the programme enjoys further proves its value. According to a statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the governor expressed appreciation to the Chairman of the Council of Emirs and the Emirs of Kano, Rano, Karaye and Gaya for their fatherly guidance, prayers and valuable contributions. He also thanked the Ulama who travelled from different parts of the country, describing their prayers and guidance as vital to the success of the programme. He acknowledged the Kano State Hisbah Board under Commander-General Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa for its dedication to promoting moral values, peace and community wellbeing, and he expressed gratitude to the business community, diplomatic corps, civil society organisations, development partners and other guests who attended or sent goodwill messages. When Emirs, Ulama, governors, and civil society stand together, it shows this is not about politics. It is about the public good.
The challenge now is for action. Those governors who witnessed this historic event should not make it a mere ceremony to attend. They should go back to their states and immediately conduct theirs, copying from the Kano model. The problems Kano is tackling are not unique to Kano. Late marriage, social vices, and broken homes cut across the country. If we are serious about eradicating these ills, then other northern states must emulate Kano without delay. Mass wedding works because it is Islamic, it is cultural, and it is affordable. It promotes chastity, reduces crime, stabilizes homes, and gives children a better start in life.
Gov. Yusuf deserves commendation for leading this reorientation. By bringing all stakeholders to the table, he has shown that leadership is about managing people for a common purpose. Mass wedding is more than an event. It is a reorientation of society. It is Kano telling the North that we can fix our problems from within, using our values. Other northern states should study it, adapt it, and implement it. The future of our region depends on strong families, and strong families begin with marriage.
