As governors across Nigeria present their 2026 appropriation bills to state Houses of Assembly, an analysis has revealed sharp disparities in education funding, with Anambra, Enugu, Kano and Jigawa emerging as the biggest spenders, while several states fall far below global benchmarks.
So far, 34 governors have submitted their 2026 budget proposals, exposing uneven prioritisation of the education sector at a time of rising concerns over learning outcomes, infrastructure decay and teacher shortages nationwide.
Anambra State leads the country, allocating 46.9 per cent of its N757bn budget to education, the highest share recorded among the states analysed.
Enugu State follows, committing N522bn out of its N1.62tn budget to education, representing 32.3 per cent. The state has consistently allocated over 30 per cent to the sector since 2024.
The 2026 provision is expected to fund school infrastructure upgrades, teacher recruitment and flagship programmes such as the Smart Green Schools initiative, including N30bn for school feeding.
Kano State ranks third, with N405.3bn allocated to education from a total budget of N1.368tn, amounting to 30 per cent. The state government has described education as a strategic driver of long-term development.
Jigawa State also made a strong showing, earmarking N234.48bn, or 26 per cent, of its N901.84bn budget for education. Governor Muhammad Badaru has said quality education is central to the state’s future.
Other states that met or came close to international benchmarks include Kaduna (N246.25bn of N985bn, 25 per cent), Abia (N203.2bn of N1.016tn, 20 per cent) and Taraba (N131.6bn of N650bn, 20 per cent).
States with moderate allocations include Kogi (18 per cent), Katsina (17.4 per cent), Oyo (17.4 per cent), Nasarawa (17.05 per cent), Ogun (16.6 per cent) and Kebbi (about 16 per cent).
In contrast, several states posted alarmingly low education budgets. Akwa Ibom recorded the lowest allocation nationwide, setting aside just N31.6bn out of N1.39tn, representing 2.27 per cent. Imo State followed with N60.62bn of N1.43tn, amounting to 4.24 per cent.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recommends that governments allocate 15–20 per cent of total public expenditure or 4–6 per cent of GDP to education.
Multiple states fell significantly short of this benchmark, including Adamawa (6.86 per cent), Bayelsa (7.43 per cent), Delta (6.11 per cent), Gombe (8.01 per cent), Lagos (5.87 per cent), Niger (8.24 per cent) and Zamfara (7.55 per cent).
Some states allocated around the minimum benchmark of 15 per cent, including Bauchi, Ondo and Sokoto.
In other cases, education funding is embedded within broader social services votes, making precise figures unclear. These include Cross River, Edo, Plateau, Yobe, Kwara and Ebonyi, where allocations cover health, housing and social welfare alongside education.
Meanwhile, Osun and Ekiti have approved or proposed their 2026 budgets but are yet to publish detailed sectoral breakdowns showing exact education allocations.
The analysis underscores persistent disparities in state-level commitment to education, raising questions about long-term human capital development across the federation.