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. For days the city's streets have been buzzing with bridal parties and their families preparing outfits and attending other organised events. The nuptials culminated on Saturday with a wedding breakfast hosted by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who offered his blessing to the newlyweds. The Kano state government sponsored this initiative, spending 1.5bn naira ($1m; £815,000) to support those tying the knot - providing the bride's dowry and furniture for the couple's first home. The mass weddings have continued under subsequent governors, with numbers expanding each year as demand has grown and included those in polygamous Muslim marriages.