The British Government has congratulated Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, following Kano State’s emergence as the highest-ranked subnational government in West Africa for education spending.
The commendation came from Mr. Ian Attfield, Senior Education Adviser at the British High Commission in Nigeria, who described the achievement as a major milestone and a reflection of Kano State’s commitment to prioritising education as a catalyst for sustainable development.
Kano earned the recognition following the release of the West Africa Education Spending Index (WAESI), a policy initiative of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris – Africa Foundation (Lucien Paye). The index promotes evidence-based governance in education financing across the 15 member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and their 209 first-level subnational governments.
In a formal notification to Governor Yusuf, the organisers announced that Kano ranked first among all subnational governments in West Africa, earning the prestigious title of “Grand Laureate of Education Financing” as the 2026 Best Performing Subnational Government in West Africa.
According to a letter signed by Professor Julie Peghini, Director of the University of Paris 8 and Director of the Fondation Lucien Paye, the assessment aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education, SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals, and the African Union Agenda 2063, all of which advocate increased investment in education and stronger partnerships to improve learning outcomes.
The organisers said Kano’s top ranking reflects the state’s sustained commitment to strengthening education financing and implementing policies that promote equitable access to quality education. They added that the award recognises governments demonstrating outstanding leadership in prioritising investment in the education sector.
The assessment report and supporting datasets have also been published on the official French Government open data repository, reinforcing the transparency and credibility of the ranking.
Since assuming office, Governor Yusuf’s administration has placed education at the forefront of its development agenda, declaring a state of emergency in the sector and implementing wide-ranging reforms. These include the construction and rehabilitation of schools, recruitment of teachers, provision of learning materials, expansion of scholarship programmes and increased budgetary allocations to improve access to quality education across Kano State.
The WAESI recognition, alongside the congratulatory message from the British Government, further highlights Kano State’s growing reputation as a regional leader in education financing and reform.
