The Kano State Sharia Commission has clarified widespread reports suggesting that it had fixed the dowry (sadaki) for marriage in the state.
Addressing journalists at his office on Monday, August 18, 2025, the Chairman of the Commission, Malam Abbas Abubakar Daneji, explained that during a meeting held the previous Thursday with the Zakkat and Hubusi Commission, the Hisbah Board, and other stakeholders, resolutions were reached on matters relating to zakkat, compensation for wrongful killing (diyya), and marriage dowry.
He said, however, that many people misinterpreted the decision, especially regarding dowry.
According to Sheikh Daneji, high dowry demands have discouraged many youths from getting married, prompting scholars and the commission to deliberate on easing the burden. The meeting agreed that a minimum of ₦20,000 could be accepted as dowry, though families are free to agree on higher amounts.
“Sharia provides that dowry should be simple and affordable so that marriage is not made difficult,” Daneji said.
He cited Qur’anic verses and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) which emphasize that the best marriages are those with the simplest dowry.
Recently, there had been heated debate in Kano over rumors that the Sharia Commission had strictly pegged dowry at ₦20,000.
At the Thursday stakeholders’ meeting, decisions were also made that ₦150 million should be paid as diyya (compensation) for wrongful killing, while ₦985,000 was set as the zakat threshold, based on the market value of the dirham.
Daneji stressed that the Commission never ruled that ₦20,000 must be paid as dowry, but only encouraged making marriage easier and more affordable. He added that the decision was reached after wide consultations with leading scholars, including academics.
