The Kano State Government has postponed its planned mass wedding programme after routine medical screening revealed that some of the women selected as beneficiaries were pregnant.
The executive chairman of the Kano State AIDS Control Agency (KSACA), Dr. Usman Bashir, announced the development while briefing journalists on the outcome of health examinations conducted on participants shortlisted for the exercise on Friday.
LEADERSHIP reports the Kano State Government had allocated N1.5 billion for the mass wedding programme involving 1,500 couples.
The government introduced comprehensive pre-marital medical screening to ensure that all intended couples met the necessary health requirements before the marriages were solemnised.
According to Dr. Bashir, the screening, carried out in collaboration with the Kano State Hisbah Board, included pregnancy, HIV testing and other essential medical examinations.
He explained that the exercise revealed that some of the women selected for the programme were pregnant, prompting the government to postpone the mass wedding.
“The decision to postpone the exercise followed the outcome of the medical screening, which showed that some of the prospective brides were pregnant,” he said.
Dr. Bashir stressed that the screening was designed to protect the health of couples and their future children by identifying medical conditions that could require attention before marriage.
He noted that pre-marital health screening remains a critical component of the state’s mass wedding initiative, as it enables early detection of health issues and ensures that appropriate medical advice and interventions are provided where necessary.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has reopened registration for individuals who had earlier applied to participate in the programme but were not shortlisted. It urged interested applicants to submit fresh applications to enable them to be considered for inclusion in the rescheduled exercise.
The state has yet to announce a date for the mass wedding programme.
