Kano Emerges ECOWAS’ Top Sub-National Government In Education Spending

Kano State has been ranked as the highest-performing sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, according to the 2026 Sub-National Education Spending Index published by the University of Paris.

The report placed 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 implementation of its education budget.

The ranking comes after the Kano State Government declared a state of emergency in the education sector, a policy that has been accompanied by increased budgetary allocations, school infrastructure projects, teacher recruitment and training, and efforts to expand access to quality education.

According to the report, Kano recorded an overall Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index (S-WAESI) score of 87.21, outperforming other highly rated sub-national governments, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the next highest-ranked Nigerian state, placing 16th in the regional assessment.

The S-WAESI measures governments’ commitment to education using indicators that include actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, the share of the budget devoted to education, transparency and evidence-based reporting.

Under the methodology, actual education spending carries the highest weighting of 35 points, followed by spending per student with 25 points, budget execution with 20 points, while education budget priority and transparency account for 10 points each.

The University of Paris report attributed Kano’s leading position to its high level of education spending and strong execution of approved budgets, describing the state as the best-performing sub-national government in the ECOWAS region.

The assessment 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.

Kano’s education spending has risen significantly in recent years. The administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf allocated 29.5 per cent of the state’s 2024 budget to education and increased the allocation to 30 per cent in the 2025 budget, placing the sector among the government’s top spending priorities.