Kano State has emerged as the leading subnational government in education spending among 209 governments assessed in the 2026 African Subnational Survey Report by the University of Paris.
The state was also ranked second in climate governance and was recognised as the best-performing subnational government in the Sahel, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Kano State Governor’s spokesman, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
The findings were unveiled on September 12, 2026, at an event held at City University, Paris, where Kano received two awards for its performance in education financing and climate governance.
Presenting the awards, Prof. Julie Peghini, Director of City University, Paris, and her research partner, Dr. Hicham Tojari, said Kano ranked first in education spending and second in climate governance among the 209 subnational governments evaluated in the 2026 survey.
The recognition also drew commendation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO Headquarters in France, Dr. Hajjo Sani, called on other states to replicate Kano’s commitment to funding education.
Sani said Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf deserved more than an award for maintaining a policy of dedicating 30 per cent of the state’s annual budget to education.
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, in her goodwill message, equally praised Yusuf’s administration for its performance in the education sector and described Kano as a front-runner in education reforms.
“It is a known fact that Kano is leading every other state when it comes to making the education sector a priority,” the Minister affirmed.
The Emir of Kano, His Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, who received the awards on behalf of Governor Yusuf, outlined some of the administration’s major interventions in education over the past three years.
According to the Emir, the measures include the regular allocation of 30 per cent of the state budget to education, declaration of a state of emergency in the sector, distribution of teaching and learning materials and widespread rehabilitation and renovation of schools.
He said the government had also intervened in the provision and rehabilitation of classrooms, desks, office facilities, toilets and water infrastructure, among other projects aimed at improving learning conditions for teachers and students.
Sanusi said the administration’s sustained investment had helped enhance Kano’s international standing in education, noting that the state was also rated the best-performing state in the Senior Secondary School Examination among Nigeria’s 36 states in 2025.
He added that the University of Paris recognition was further evidence that the state’s investment in education was producing measurable outcomes and reinforcing Kano’s position in human capital development.
Post A Comment: