British Government Congratulates Governor Yusuf as Kano Emerges West Africa’s Highest-Ranked in Education Spending

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 to Nigeria, who praised the achievement in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

He described the recognition as a significant milestone for Kano and an indication of the state’s commitment to prioritizing education as a driver of sustainable development.

The recognition follows the release of the West Africa Education Spending Index (WAESI), a policy initiative established by the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris – Africa Foundation (Lucien Paye) to promote 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 addressed to Governor Yusuf, the organizers announced that Kano State 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 the letter signed by Professor Julie Peghini, Director of the University of Paris 8 and Director of the Fondation Lucien Paye, the assessment was conducted in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), and the African Union Agenda 2063, all of which emphasize increased investment in quality education and stronger partnerships to improve learning outcomes.

The organizers noted that Kano’s top ranking reflects the state’s commitment to strengthening education financing and implementing policies that support equitable access to quality education.

They added that the award recognizes governments that demonstrate exceptional leadership in allocating resources to the education sector.

The assessment report and the underlying datasets have been made publicly available through the official French Government open data repository, reinforcing the transparency and credibility of the ranking.

Governor Yusuf’s administration has consistently placed education at the center of its development agenda, declaring a state of emergency in the sector shortly after assuming office.

Since then, the government has undertaken major investments, including the rehabilitation and construction of schools, recruitment of teachers, provision of learning materials, expansion of scholarship programmes, and increased budgetary allocations aimed at improving access to quality education across Kano State.

The recognition by the WAESI and the congratulatory message from the British Government further underscore Kano State’s growing reputation as a regional leader in education financing and reform.