Kano State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States in education spending, according to the 2026 Sub-National Education Spending Index released by the University of Paris.
The report ranked Kano first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across the 15 ECOWAS member states, citing the state’s sustained investment in education.
According to the report, Kano recorded an overall Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index score of 87.21, ahead of Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal, while Lagos emerged as the second highest-ranked Nigerian state, placing 16th overall.
The assessment measured governments’ commitment to education using indicators such as actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.
The index allocated 35 points to actual education spending, 25 points to spending per student, 20 points to budget execution, while education priority and transparency accounted for 10 points each.
The report noted that Kano’s strong performance was driven largely by its high education expenditure and effective budget implementation, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the region.
The ranking covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
The recognition follows the Kano State Government’s declaration of a state of emergency on education, which prioritised increased funding to address years of infrastructural decay and improve access to quality education.
Under the initiative, the government has invested in the construction and rehabilitation of schools, recruitment of teachers, provision of learning materials and expansion of educational opportunities across the state.
The Kano State Accountability Forum on Education described the ranking as a reflection of the government’s commitment to improving school infrastructure, educational planning and budget implementation.
Governor Abba Yusuf had allocated 29.5 per cent of the state’s 2024 budget and 30 per cent of the 2025 budget to education, among the highest sectoral allocations in Nigeria. The government also developed a comprehensive education recovery plan in collaboration with international development partners to improve learning outcomes and strengthen human capital development.
