Celebrations have turned the northern Nigerian city of Kano into a riot of colour and excitement over the last week as 1,500 couples married at a mass wedding. The nuptials culminated on Saturday with a wedding breakfast hosted by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who offered his blessing to the newlyweds. The annual event was initiated in 2012 by the then-governor when 100 couples - primarily widows and divorcees - wed at the palace. The mass weddings have continued under subsequent governors, with numbers expanding each year as demand has grown and included those in polygamous Muslim marriages. He and his fiancée failed to be chosen for this August's wedding but he said he would try again next year.