The Zamfara State Government has held mass wedding for 200 female orphans, widows, and underprivileged women as part of its 2025 social intervention initiatives under the Zakat and Endowment Board
The ceremony, held on Monday, November 24, also marked the conclusion of the board’s annual programmes, which included business grants, debt relief, poultry production training, and computer literacy training for vulnerable households.
Speaking at the event, First Lady Huriyya Dauda Lawal said the mass wedding reflects the government’s commitment to uplifting widows, orphans, and disadvantaged women across the state. She revealed that her office provided additional support to help the newly married couples start their homes with dignity.
“For the fourth quarter of 2025, the Zakat Board has successfully delivered a series of life-changing interventions, including support for the marriage of 200 female orphans through essential household items such as furniture, bedding, and a ₦200,000 dowry to enable them begin their marital lives with respect and comfort,” she said.
The First Lady added that other interventions included settling debt-related cases in Shari’ah courts and correctional centres to give deserving individuals “a second chance to regain freedom and rebuild their lives honourably.” She also disclosed that 200 small-scale traders, many of them widows, caregivers, and orphans, received ₦50,000 business grants to boost their income.
The Executive Secretary of the Zamfara State Zakat and Endowment Board, Habib Balarabe, explained that the mass wedding and other empowerment initiatives are designed to support households that lack resources to start stable homes.
“We organise this event specially for the less-privileged people in Zamfara State. We organised it to marry 200 orphans. We also run programmes to empower them while still in their homes, like giving them tokens to start businesses,” he said.
One of the brides, 17-year-old Zainab Mohammed, expressed gratitude to the government for its support. Although not an orphan, she said she chose marriage over continuing school.
“Honestly, I thank Almighty God and Prophet Mohammed, may the peace of God be with him. I am very happy. I am not an orphan. Honestly, I prefer marriage to going to school,” she said.
Each newly married couple received furniture and a cash gift of ₦30,000, while poultry training beneficiaries were given starter packs to help them launch small-scale ventures.
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