The recent Kano State mass wedding for 1800 couples raised various perspectives on the institution of marriage. Some viewed it as a commendable initiative aimed at promoting social stability and economic empowerment. Others questioned whether it truly addresses deeper existential issues facing the state. Joel Okoeguale and NafeesahSoliu assisted in getting responses to this topic. Below are the responses of some of our contributors:
Sarah Blessing
It is a good development. It would help save the cost of getting married, especially going by the high cost of things in the country. With the cost of the wedding taken over by the government, the couples would use their financial resources to plan their homes. It is not uncommon for couples these days to go into debt all in the name of getting married. But with the mass wedding in Kano, the benefitting couples could look beyond going into debt because they want to get married.
Tosin BAdeniyi
The Kano mass wedding was a good one because, instead of the beneficiaries — widows, widowers, divorcees and spinsters — having illicit affairs, it is better for them to get married to curb the menace of sexual abuse.
Oluwarotimi
Engaging them in some employment of some sort before the wedding could have made their life more meaningful. Are they going to feed or empower them after the wedding? This is a feudal system in operation, which may lead to begging for survival, oppression, laziness and subsequent distribution of palliatives.
Mariam Jinadu
It is a beautiful way to bring people together and celebrate love. It is heartwarming to see many couples starting their journey together in such a grand fashion.
Olamiposi Adeyemo
I do not think it is necessary. It is only meaningful if they give the couples reasonable funds to start life-changing businesses and provide opportunities that would make that scenario worthwhile. I would have preferred the wedding fund to go to those who really need it.
Rhema Esekpelemu
It is not a bad idea, considering the way things are in Kano society. However, the couples should be given a means to take care of their families.
Temitope Fimihan
That is another deliberate waste of hard-earned public funds. What is the business of the Kano State government in the private affairs of individuals, especially indigent residents who could hardly feed themselves let alone feed a spouse?
Festus Okorie
It should be replicated nationwide and in other regions of the world on an annual basis.
Obayemi Oluwasesan
It is very profitable and economically viable to the governor and the poverty-stricken state for more almajiris.
Tayo Joseph
Would something reasonable be given to the couples after the wedding to maintain their new families? If not, this is another polite method of increasing poverty in the region. Being a husband or a man is beyond sexual responsibility and a wedding ceremony. The aftermath of this is what makes one a man and that is how we come about the acronym MR (mature and responsible).
Olanrewaju Bashorun
It is very good. God would bless the Kano State government for its generosity in boosting mankind. Governance is about the people.
Matthew Adewale
It is nothing more than a propagation and proliferation of poverty in a state that is leading in the poverty index. Would the same government be there for these new homes and the children they bring forth?
Kehinde Kolawole
It is needless. Would the government continue to feed, clothe, and maintain them for life? The government is only creating more societal problems. How would they train their children? Are we not raising more out-of-school children, bandits, and Boko Haram insurgents in the foreseeable future?
Ibare Olorun
Nigeria likes battling smoke, pretending not to know the source of the fire. The people are too poor to marry because of the bad economy. Giving them N20,000 to start a family in this current economic situation is not enough. If the economy is better and the environment is conducive, they would not need the government to conduct mass weddings for them.
Sophia
While it is heartening to witness a community coming together to support many couples, I wonder if this approach addresses the core issues that may be affecting these couples and their families.
Bashirat Onifade
It is a noble effort to help those in need. However, I hope the focus does not stop at the wedding day. Hopefully, the government will keep providing the ongoing support needed by these couples to ensure their long-term happiness.
Sotayo Adenuga
Looking at it from another angle, the mass wedding shows the relationship between tradition and modernity. It is also interesting to see how a traditional practice like this is coming up, which could help to meet the needs of a changing society. I am also curious about the impact of the wedding on the local economy and community dynamics. It is not just about the couples, but also the broader implications for the region.
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