Kano leads West Africa as Lagos finishes 16th in education index

Kano State has been ranked the highest-performing sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, following years of increased investment in the sector under its education recovery programme.

The recognition came in the 2026 Sub-National Education Spending Index released by the University of Paris, which assessed 209 first-level sub-national governments across the 15 ECOWAS member states.

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 all other states, regions and districts evaluated across West Africa. The ranking also placed Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal behind Kano, while Lagos emerged as the second-highest ranked Nigerian state, occupying the 16th position overall.

The report attributed Kano’s performance to its strong commitment to education financing, effective budget implementation and sustained investment in expanding access to quality education.

The ranking follows the state government’s declaration of a state of emergency on education, a policy that has driven increased budgetary allocations, rehabilitation and construction of schools, recruitment of teachers, provision of learning materials and expansion of educational opportunities across the state.

The University of Paris developed the index using the Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index (S-WAESI), which evaluates governments based on 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, while transparency and evidence-based reporting contributed the remaining 10 points.

The report noted that Kano distinguished itself through high levels of actual education spending and efficient execution of education budgets, making it 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.

The Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) described the recognition as evidence of the state’s sustained commitment to improving access to education, strengthening educational planning and ensuring effective implementation of education budgets.

Education stakeholders also said the ranking validates the state’s policy direction since the declaration of the state of emergency on education, stressing that consistent public investment remains critical to improving learning outcomes and developing human capital.

As part of its education reform agenda, Abba Kabir Yusuf, Governor of Kano State, 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 increased funding formed the backbone of the state’s education emergency programme aimed at reversing years of infrastructural decay, improving teaching and learning conditions, and restoring confidence in the public education system.

The state government has also partnered with international development organisations to implement a comprehensive education recovery plan designed to maximise the impact of its investments and accelerate reforms across basic and secondary education.