K SAFE Congratulates Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on Kano’s Emergence as ECOWAS’ Highest-Ranked Sub-National Government in Education Spending

The Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) heartily congratulates the Executive Governor of Kano State, *His Excellency Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf*, and the Honourable Commissioner for Education, *Dr. Ali Haruna Makoda*, on the historic achievement of Kano State emerging as the highest-ranked sub-national government in education spending across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

According to the recently released *Sub-National Weighted Average Education Spending Index (S-WAESI)*, Kano State scored an impressive *87.21 out of 100*, ranking **first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS countries*. This remarkable feat reflects the state’s unwavering commitment to prioritising education through increased investment, prudent budget implementation, and strengthened education governance.

As a coalition of civil society organisations, academia, media practitioners, development partners, and education advocates dedicated to promoting transparency, accountability, and quality education, K-SAFE considers this recognition a significant milestone for Kano State and a strong validation of the ongoing reforms in the education sector.

We particularly commend the Kano State Government for recording outstanding performance in key indicators, including actual education spending, budget execution, education priority, and spending per learner. These achievements underscore the government’s resolve to place education at the centre of its development agenda and reaffirm its commitment to investing in the future of Kano’s children.

K-SAFE also acknowledges the invaluable contributions of the Ministry of Education, the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the Science and Technical Schools Board (STSB), the Kano State Senior Secondary Schools Management Board (KSSSMB), the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board (KSPVIB), development partners, school administrators, teachers, School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), civil society organisations, and other stakeholders whose collective efforts continue to strengthen the education system in the state.

While celebrating this outstanding achievement, K-SAFE urges the Kano State Government to sustain the momentum. Maintaining this leadership position will require continuous investment and strategic reforms, including:

* Increasing education budget allocations and ensuring the timely release of approved funds.

* Expanding investment in school infrastructure, teaching and learning materials, and digital education.

* Recruiting, deploying, and providing continuous professional development for qualified teachers.

* Prioritising foundational literacy and numeracy, girl-child education, safe schools, inclusive education, and second-chance learning opportunities for out-of-school children.

* Strengthening transparency, public accountability, and citizen participation in education planning and expenditure to improve the state’s transparency score in future assessments.

* Sustaining collaboration with development partners, civil society organisations, communities, and the private sector to accelerate improvements in learning outcomes.

K-SAFE firmly believes that investment in education is not merely a budgetary expenditure but a strategic investment in human capital development, economic growth, social stability, and sustainable development. Every child in Kano deserves access to safe, inclusive, equitable, and quality education regardless of gender, disability, or socio-economic background.

We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the Kano State Government through evidence-based advocacy, independent monitoring, policy dialogue, community engagement, and constructive partnerships to ensure that investments in education translate into measurable improvements in learning outcomes for every child.

Once again, we congratulate *His Excellency Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf*, the Honourable Commissioner for Education, *Dr. Ali Haruna Makoda*, and all stakeholders in the education sector on this well-deserved regional recognition. We encourage the government to consolidate on this success and continue making education the cornerstone of Kano State’s development.

Congratulations, Kano State. Congratulations to the good people of Kano State.

Signed:

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim, ANIPR
Public Relations Officer (PRO)
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE)