Fact Check: Kano yet to affirm claim of leading West Africa in education spending - Blueprint Newspapers Limited
Spread the wordThe Kano state government is yet to provide verifiable evidence to support its claim that it has been ranked the highest spending sub-national government on education in West Africa by a. . .
Spread the wordThe Kano state government is yet to provide verifiable evidence to support its claim that it has been ranked the highest spending sub-national government on education in West Africa by a purported “University of Paris,” as investigations have failed to establish the existence of such a ranking or the institution cited in the announcement. The claim, which has generated widespread debate among education stakeholders and members of the public, was contained in a statement issued over the weekend by the Director General, Media and Publicity to the Kano state governor, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa. Blueprint reportsIn the statement, the government announced that Kano had emerged as the highest ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, attributing the ranking to what it described as the “Sub-National Education Spending Index” developed by the University of Paris. According to the statement, Kano topped 209 first-level sub-national governments across the 15 ECOWAS member states, describing the development as evidence of the state’s sustained commitment to investment in education. The government further linked the reported recognition to its declaration of a state of emergency on education, which it said was aimed at addressing longstanding challenges in the sector through increased funding, improved infrastructure and expanded access to quality education. Questions over source of rankingHowever, independent checks have raised questions over the authenticity of the claim. Investigations indicate that there is no verifiable evidence showing that any institution known as the “University of Paris” released such a ranking or developed a Sub-National Education Spending Index assessing education expenditure by ECOWAS sub-national governments. Searches of official publications and websites of major Paris-based higher institutions, including Sorbonne University and Université Paris Cité, revealed no report, academic publication or press statement ranking Kano State as the highest spender on education in West Africa. Similarly, no publicly available document from universities that previously formed part of the historic University of Paris system contains any reference to such an education spending index or any assessment involving Kano State. Existing rankings focus on universitiesFurther checks also failed to locate any academic research or comparative study by a Paris-based institution evaluating education expenditure among sub-national governments across the ECOWAS region. A review of the latest university rankings for 2026 showed that references to Kano relate primarily to Bayero University, Kano, which has been recognised among leading universities in West Africa based on academic performance and research output. There is, however, no indication that any international university has ranked Kano State Government’s education spending against other sub-national governments in the region. Education analysts note that university rankings generally evaluate academic institutions using indicators such as teaching quality, research productivity, innovation, international collaboration and institutional reputation rather than government expenditure. Expert questions claimAn educationist, Hassan Usman, said internationally recognised comparative assessments of government spending are usually undertaken by specialised multilateral organisations rather than universities. According to him, organisations such as UNESCO, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are responsible for producing globally recognised reports on education financing, public expenditure and governance. He explained that universities rarely publish rankings comparing government spending across countries or sub-national entities. Usman further urged journalists and members of the public to verify claims through credible and authoritative sources before disseminating them, stressing that the spread of unverified information could undermine public confidence and contribute to misinformation. UNESCO records show no such rankingChecks of recent UNESCO publications, including the Global Education Monitoring Report and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics database, also did not reveal any ranking placing Kano State or any Nigerian state as the highest spender on education in West Africa. The available reports provide education financing data at national levels but do not rank sub-national governments across the ECOWAS region using an education spending index similar to the one referenced by the Kano State Government. Likewise, no records were found on the websites of the World Bank or other leading international development organisations supporting the claim. Calls for clarificationThe controversy has prompted calls for the Kano State Government to provide the full report or methodology supporting its assertion. Observers argue that making public the source document, the institution responsible for the ranking and the criteria used would help clarify the claim and address growing public concerns over its authenticity. Education stakeholders also maintain that transparency in communicating government achievements is essential to sustaining public trust, particularly on issues relating to public expenditure and policy outcomes. As of the time of filing this report, the Kano State Government had not released any supporting documentation or official link to substantiate the reported ranking. Until such evidence is presented, the claim that Kano is the highest-ranked sub-national government in West Africa for education spending remains unverified. Spread the word