Kano State has been ranked the highest sub-national government in education spending across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), according to a new index developed by the University of Paris.
The Sub-National Education Spending Index placed Kano first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS countries, reflecting the scale of its financial commitment to the education sector.
The report credited Kano’s strong performance to sustained investment following the state government’s declaration of a state of emergency on education, a policy aimed at addressing infrastructure gaps, improving learning conditions and expanding access to schooling.
Since the declaration, the administration has significantly increased budgetary allocation to education, directing funds towards school rehabilitation, construction of new classrooms, recruitment of teachers and provision of learning materials across the state.
The index, which used the Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index (S-WAESI), evaluated government performance based on actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, policy priority and transparency.
Kano recorded an overall score of 87.21, placing it ahead of major regions in West Africa, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal.
Within Nigeria, Lagos State followed as the next highest-ranked sub-national entity, placing 16th overall.
Analysts noted that Kano’s strong performance was driven largely by high actual education spending and efficient budget execution, making it the leading performer in the ECOWAS region under the assessment criteria.
The Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) described the recognition as validation of the government’s sustained reforms and investment drive aimed at strengthening the education sector.
The report also highlighted Kano’s consistent budgetary commitment, noting that Governor Abba Yusuf allocated 29.5 per cent and 30 per cent of the state budget to education in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Education stakeholders said the ranking reinforced the importance of sustained public investment in education as a tool for improving human capital development and long-term economic growth in the region.
