From Desks to Degrees: How Governor Yusuf Is Bankrolling A Generation’s Future
By Abba Anwar
Who really wants to know who is His Excellency Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, Executive Governor of Kano State, in the education sector? Read through the following few paragraphs.
In 2024, education got 29.95% of Kano’s ₦437 billion budget. In 2025, it rose to ₦280.6 billion, 31% of the budget. A provision exceeding the globally suggested percentage for education. Meaning above UNESCO’s 26% recommendation. For 2026, Governor Yusuf presented a ₦1.368 trillion budget to the State Assembly, with ₦405.3 billion earmarked for education, which is 30% of the total.
That allocation earned His Excellency, by extension the state, an “Award of Excellence” at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Education Summit and was hailed as a new National Benchmark. Kano sets pace for national development in one of the most important sectors of human endeavor.
“These allocations demonstrate our unwavering determination to invest heavily in human capital development,” Governor Yusuf said while presenting the 2026 budget. This clearly demonstrates his uninterrupted commitment and political will to change the direction of our education system from good to best.
With 68% of the 2026 budget going to capital projects, the message is clear: build systems, not just pay salaries. Which unarguably maintains his human-face policies since his assumption as an elected governor in 2023. Same zeal, same approach and same endurance keeps the wheel moving at high speed.
Another success narration is when the Governor assigned the Education Ministry to another committed gentleman of great substance and value, in the person of Dr Ali Haruna Makoda. Who, when the then Commissioner for Higher Education resigned, the Governor collapsed the Higher Education Ministry with the main Ministry of Education and directed Dr Makoda to handle them both. An executive recommendation from an Executive personality.
Another perspective to it, keeps manifesting for all to know how engaging is the people’s Governor. It is one’s clarity in observation that lights the road for healthier development. From the Minbars (pulpit) of Kano’s historic mosques to the timelines of Facebook, X and WhatsApp, one message is uniting all the 44 Local Government Areas, invest in the child. And extends same treatment to other aspect of the sector.
In just under three years, Governor Yusuf has turned that message into policy, budgets, and bricks. By declaring a “State of Emergency” on education and committing an unprecedented 30% of state resources to the sector, Kano is not just spending more. It is redefining what government can deliver to ordinary families. This means the direction of the ship is straight, the captain navigating all on board is visionary and the system is not collapsing but strengthening.
The result of Kano’s commitment is what led education experts to coin the development as “The Kano Model” which is bold, people-first experiment in how a sub-national government can interrogate out-of-school rates, teacher shortages, and poor learning outcomes all at once.
You may not appreciate Kano’s Model in the most appropriate way until and unless you view other states across the country. I searched two states from each of the six geo-political zones, compared them with Kano, I then arrived at what excellence means, what commitment entails and what Kano Governor symbolizes. An embodiment of good work and commitment.
Let me begin with the North West zone. Kano state had no available data for 2023. While in 2024, when the current administration started the year from the beginning, the percentage allocated to education was 29.95%. In 2025 education got 31%, meaning ₦280.6bn. And in 2026 the percentage is 30%, meaning ₦405.3bn. While Jigawa state had no available data in 2023-2025. But in 2026 the percentage is 26%, meaning ₦234.48bn of ₦901.84bn.
Under North East we are looking at Bauchi and Gombe states. For Bauchi in 2023 there was no available data. With the total budget ₦202.64bn, still allocation for education was not available. In 2024 the percentage for education was 16.1% meaning the sum of ₦48bn was allocated to the sector of the total budget of ₦300.2bn. In 2025 the allocation for education was 13%. And in 2026 it was 15%.
While in Gombe there was no available data for 2023-2025. But in 2026 they allocated 8.01%.
North Central we have Benue and Nassarawa states. Benue in 2023-2024 it lacked available data on the education allocation for the two fiscal years. But in 2025 the percentage is 14.1% and in 2026 they have 21.4%, equal to ₦148.73bn. For Nasarawa there was no available data for 2023-2025. But in 2026 the percentage for education is 17.3%.
At the level of South East states I selected Enugu and Anambra states. For Enugu in 2023-2024 fiscal years there was no available data. While in 2024 the percentage was 33%. In 2025 they have 32.99% and in 2026 they have 32.3%, meaning ₦522bn of ₦1.62tn. For Anambra in 2023 the percentage was 21.6%, meaning ₦30.88bn spent out of ₦142.9bn. In 2024 the percentage was 3.04%, of ₦15.85bn spent from ₦521.5bn. There was no available data in 2025. As in 2026 it was recorded that the percentage is 46.9%, meaning ₦355bn of ₦757bn.
Under South West I chose Lagos and Oyo states. Lagos in 2023 has 6.02% for education. Meaning ₦135.15bn out of ₦2.246tn.
In 2024 the percentage is 5.62%, meaning ₦127.49bn out of ₦2.267tn. In 2025 the percentage for education is 6.1%. And in 2026 it is 5.3%, meaning ₦234.6bn of ₦4.4tn. While in Oyo there is no available data for 2023-2025. But in 2026 the percentage allocated for education was 16.4%, meaning ₦145.97bn. The range for all South West states for 2026 is between 5.3% – 16.4%.
For South South zone I looked at Delta and Bayelsa states. Where
Delta in the period between 2023-2025, the data for such percentage is not available. In 2026 the percentage is 6.11%, meaning ₦105.08bn of ₦1.72tn. While Bayelsa also has no available data for 2023-2025. But in 2026 the education percentage for education is 7.43%, meaning ₦75.1bn of ₦1.01tn.
Looking at the above presented data we can deduce that, only 4 states crossed 26%, UNESCO recommended percentage. Kano, Enugu, Jigawa and Anambra 2026. Still Kano takes the lead. Kano still has 29.95% in 2024 and 31% in 2025.
In what I call Data Gap my reader can understand that most states didn’t publish education percentage in 2023-2024 Appropriation Laws. Especially in 2023 because they just assumed the leadership position in their respective states, that is the month of May of that year. Immediately after they were elected and emerged winners.
Kano in its budget breakdown gave the nitty-gritty areas of where those overwhelming percentage under education goes. Accountability in its purest and clearest form. I stand to be corrected. That is where I critically mean a Benchmark, that the state sets for other states of the federation.
You will come to understand that the numbers, percentages and the distribution of allocated share for education sector tell the story of political will of the people’s Governor, His Excellency Governor Yusuf.
He takes fees off parents. Under this I can say for parents in Dala, Tarauni and Rano, the impact is immediate and tangible. While the Governor feels better, because he is fulfilling campaign promises. He is managing the affairs with care, caution and prudent management.
While the Governor perfects proper management, his constituency, Kano State keeps faith in him continuously. An emerging trend of no cost barriers fills the space. Free education from primary to secondary remains. In 2025, government paid NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS fees for Kano indigenes, with over ₦4.45 billion earmarked. In 2024, ₦2.9 billion covered 109,000 students.
Population having more ccess to university increases. 10,000 SS3 students received free JAMB forms plus CBT training and transport. While another 5,000 benefited earlier.
I believe that there is new emerging perspective to classes. Which I also term as Dignity in the Classroom. This is where over ₦3.5 billion was spent to fabricate 80,000 desks for 240,000 pupils who previously sat on bare floors. In April 2026, another ₦2 billion was approved for furniture across 30 LGAs. Government also approved ₦1.5 billion for free uniforms for over 800,000 Primary 1 pupils.
At the infrastructural level again 1,358 secondary and technical schools plus 5,200 primary schools have been rehabilitated. While ₦2.7 billion was released for 176 new classrooms and 88 offices across all 44 LGAs. 250 boreholes and 820 toilets were installed. 73 buses were refurbished to convey girls to school daily. A state like no other.
Another slogan after Kano First, to me, should be Teachers First. Another very important slogan Governor Yusuf finds comfort in. S comfort zone. Hence his sudden endorsement. Which resulted into the recruitment of over 13,000. In 2025 alone, 400 Mathematics teachers and 1,600 watchmen were hired. 2,000 BESDA volunteers were converted to permanent staff. Wow! Wow!! Wow!!! For the first time in years, 39,000 personnel had their 2017-2022 promotions cleared, and salaries now arrive by the 25th of every month. Your Excellency Sir WAI DAN ALLAH AKWAI IRIN KA KUWA. I asked rhetorically.
The boarding school feeding budget was doubled to ₦4 billion, and in April 2026, the government settled debts owed to food suppliers. Feeding in Islam has a special place in our faith. Kano government under him does not stop at feeding alone. It goes with good feeding system.
I hope my reader can still remember when Kano was ranked 1st in Nigeria in the 2025 NECO results. That did not happen just like that. It wasn’t by accident. It was planned, followed process and procedures, perfectly executed, closely monitored and compassionately gave out result. What result? Emerging the First amongst all the remaining 35 states of the federation including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
At the level of tertiary education, I can say it is a clear case of affordability meets aspiration. At the university level, the administration attacked cost.
Where all students in state-owned institutions enjoy a fifty percent (50%) reduction in tuition fees. Foreign and domestic scholarships have been re-introduced, and the state settled fees of Kano indigenes studying nationwide. This is a case of energy meets energy. We now have an energetic state bouncing back to its past glory.
Infrastructures are catching up. The Aliko Dangote Foundation is investing ₦15 billion to upgrade Aliko Dangote University, Wudil to international standard. In 2025, Gaya Polytechnic was established. Where ₦270.9 million went to an E-Library at the College of Education and Preliminary Studies. While ₦400 million furnished Northwest University.
The debate about skills not certificates or certificates not skills or a mixture of two standpoints is faced with wisdom, experience and encouraging political will. When twenty-one Skills Acquisition Institutes were also re-opened. For our population of mostly young men and women.
Under beyond the classroom strategy the vision goes wider. A statewide survey is ongoing to identify out-of-school children and integrate Qur’anic schools into formal learning centres. Whereas ₦2.81 billion is budgeted in 2026 for Almajiri school renovation, feeding and teacher training. Cash conditional transfers continue to support girl-child education. An excellent initiative of financial inclusion for girls.
There must be reason why the world is watching Kano. Governor Yusuf’s formula is simple but radical. Every school a good school; every child enrolled; every learner engaged; every teacher empowered. A well spirited engagement of political will, quality assurance and human approach of higher standard.
It is both systemic and systematic to understand that by putting more than 3 in every 10 Naira into education, clearing teacher backlogs, removing exam fees, and measuring success by NECO rankings, Kano has moved from promises to proof, from dream to reality, from analog to digital and from weak position to stronger engagement.
Governor Yusuf once said “This is a covenant to consolidate gains, complete key projects, and build systems that will serve generations.”
As other states grapple with dwindling revenues and rising dropout rates, Kano’s bet is that the fastest route to prosperity is not oil, gas, or contracts. It is the mind of a 10-year-old in a public primary school in Gwale and elsewhere in the state.
In Kano today, hope replaces hopelessness, kind substitutes wickedness, job dismantles joblessness and progress derails powerlessness.
Adieu Abba, Adieu Baban Al’Ameen, Adieu Kanawan Dabo!
Anwar writes from Kano
Saturday, 12th September, 2026