Kano tops ECOWAS education spending ranking — Report

KANO State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for 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 and effective budget implementation.

According to the index, Kano recorded an overall Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index (S-WAESI) score of 87.21, ahead of other top-performing regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the next 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.

Under the methodology, actual education spending accounted for 35 points, spending per student 25 points, budget execution 20 points, education priority 10 points and transparency another 10 points.

The report attributed Kano’s top ranking to its strong education expenditure and efficient budget execution, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the ECOWAS region.

The recognition follows the Kano State Government’s declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector, aimed at addressing years of infrastructural decay and poor learning conditions through increased funding and reforms.

Since the declaration, the administration has consistently allocated one of the largest shares of its annual budget to education, channeling resources into the construction and rehabilitation of schools, recruitment of teachers, provision of learning materials and expansion of access to quality education across the state.

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.

Reacting to the report, the Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) said the recognition reflects the government’s sustained commitment to improving access to education, strengthening school infrastructure and enhancing education planning and budget implementation.

Education stakeholders also described the ranking as a validation of the state’s education reforms following the declaration of the state of emergency, noting that continued public investment would further improve learning outcomes and human capital development.

Governor Abba Kabir 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 the country.

The education spending was complemented by a comprehensive recovery plan developed in partnership with international development partners to tackle long-standing challenges in the sector and ensure measurable improvements in educational outcomes.