As state governments roll out their 2026 appropriation bills, a new analysis shows a widening gap in how much Nigerian states are willing to invest in education. While Anambra, Enugu, Kano and Jigawa are committing significant portions of their budgets to the sector, many others remain far below national and international benchmarks.
So far, 34 governors have presented their 2026 budget proposals to their respective Houses of Assembly. The figures reveal that Anambra State leads the country, allocating 46.9 per cent of its ₦757bn budget to education — the highest share nationwide.
Enugu State follows, setting aside ₦522bn out of a ₦1.62tn budget, representing 32.3 per cent. The state has sustained this trend over the past three years, consistently dedicating more than 30 per cent of its budget to education. The 2026 allocation is expected to fund school infrastructure upgrades, teacher recruitment and programmes such as Smart Green Schools, alongside ₦30bn for school feeding.
Kano State also ranks among the top spenders, earmarking ₦405.3bn, or 30 per cent of its ₦1.368tn budget, for education. Jigawa State allocated ₦234.48bn, amounting to 26 per cent of its ₦901.84bn budget, with Governor Muhammad Badaru reiterating that “quality education is key to Jigawa’s future.”
Several other states came close to or met global benchmarks. Kaduna dedicated 25 per cent of its budget to education, Abia and Taraba each allocated about 20 per cent, while Kogi, Katsina, Oyo, Nasarawa, Ogun and Kebbi recorded allocations ranging between 16 and 18 per cent.
In contrast, the analysis shows that Akwa Ibom and Imo States trail far behind. Akwa Ibom posted the lowest figure, committing just ₦31.6bn — 2.27 per cent of its ₦1.39tn budget — to education. Imo State followed with ₦60.62bn, representing 4.24 per cent of its ₦1.43tn budget.
The UNESCO benchmark recommends that governments spend 15–20 per cent of total public expenditure or 4–6 per cent of GDP on education. Several states fell well short of this threshold, including Adamawa, Bayelsa, Delta, Gombe, Lagos, Niger and Zamfara, all of which allocated less than 10 per cent.
Some states, such as Cross River, Edo, Plateau, Yobe, Kwara and Ebonyi, grouped education under broader “social services” spending, making it difficult to determine the exact amount devoted solely to the sector. Meanwhile, Osun and Ekiti are yet to provide detailed education-specific breakdowns in their 2026 budgets.
The review also found that Borno and Rivers States had not presented their 2026 appropriation bills as of the time of analysis, leaving their education funding plans unclear.
Overall, the figures highlight deep disparities in education priorities across states — raising fresh questions about long-term human capital development and whether more states will align their budgets with global standards.
