Kano Tops ECOWAS Education Spending Ranking, Emerges Best Performing Sub-National Government in West Africa

Kano State has been ranked the highest-performing sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, emerging first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across the region.

The ranking, contained in the latest Sub-National Education Spending Index developed by the University of Paris, recognizes Kano’s sustained investment and commitment to improving the education sector.

According to the report, Kano recorded an overall Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index (S-WAESI) score of 87.21, placing it ahead of other leading regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State ranked as the second-highest Nigerian state, occupying the 16th position overall.

The recognition follows the Kano State Government’s declaration of a state of emergency on education, a policy aimed at reversing decades of decline through increased funding, improved infrastructure, expanded access to quality education and enhanced learning outcomes.

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 qualified teachers, provision of instructional materials and expansion of educational opportunities across the state.

The S-WAESI assessment measures government commitment to education using key indicators, including actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.

Under the methodology, actual education spending accounts for 35 points, spending per student 25 points, budget execution 20 points, education priority 10 points, while transparency and reporting account for the remaining 10 points.

The report noted that Kano’s outstanding performance was driven largely by its high level of actual education spending and effective implementation of education budgets, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the ECOWAS region.

The assessment covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across the 15 ECOWAS member countries, including Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
Reacting to the ranking, the Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) described the recognition as a reflection of the state’s sustained commitment to expanding access to quality education, improving school infrastructure and strengthening education planning and budget implementation.

Education stakeholders also said the ranking validates the state’s policy direction following the declaration of a state of emergency on education and underscores the importance of sustained public investment in improving learning outcomes and human capital development.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf allocated 29.5 per cent of the state’s 2024 budget and 30 per cent of the 2025 budget to the education sectoramong the highest education budget allocations in Nigeria.

The increased funding forms part of a comprehensive education recovery programme introduced after the declaration of the state of emergency on education to address years of neglect and deteriorating infrastructure across public schools.

Working with international development partners, the Kano State Government has also developed a holistic education recovery plan aimed at ensuring measurable impact from its increased investment in the sector and accelerating reforms designed to improve educational outcomes across the state.