NEWS
Abia Ranks 6th Nationwide as State Spends ₦21.25bn on Education in Q1 2026
By @TheKELVINATOR, The Eyes Opener News | September 01, 2026
Abia State has emerged as one of Nigeria’s leading states in education spending, ranking sixth nationwide with ₦21.25 billion recorded in education expenditure during the first quarter of 2026.
The figure places Abia ahead of several states with larger populations and underscores the growing financial attention being given to the education sector in the state.
According to the Q1 2026 spending data, Kano State recorded the highest education expenditure at ₦59.11 billion, followed by Lagos with ₦39.93 billion and Delta with ₦33.34 billion. Oyo ranked fourth with ₦28.24 billion, while Benue occupied fifth position with ₦23.92 billion.
Abia followed closely in sixth place, recording ₦21.25 billion, ahead of Ekiti, which spent ₦20.19 billion, Bayelsa with ₦18.79 billion and Kaduna with ₦18.05 billion.
The ranking puts Abia among the states making the most substantial financial commitments to education at the beginning of the year, coming at a time when the state government has intensified efforts to transform public education through infrastructure development, technology and improved learning environments.
Under Governor Alex Otti, education has remained a major component of the state’s development agenda. The administration has embarked on the renovation and transformation of public schools, including the development of digitally enabled Smart Schools designed to provide pupils with modern learning facilities and technology.
One of the administration’s notable education interventions is the Smart School initiative, through which selected public primary schools are being upgraded with modern classrooms, ICT facilities, libraries, teachers’ resource centres, smart learning systems, solar power infrastructure and other essential facilities.
The initiative has also introduced technology into the learning process, with pupils in participating schools provided with personal learning tablets. The government has maintained that education in the state’s Smart Schools remains free, while expansion projects are being undertaken to accommodate more pupils.
Abia’s ₦21.25 billion expenditure also places the state ahead of neighbouring South-East states in the ranking. Enugu recorded ₦9.12 billion, Ebonyi ₦12.36 billion, Anambra ₦4.79 billion and Imo ₦3.52 billion during the same period.
The data further shows significant differences in education spending across the country. While Kano topped the list, several states recorded expenditures below ₦10 billion. Cross River spent ₦3.87 billion, while Imo recorded the lowest figure among the states with reported spending at ₦3.52 billion.
Jigawa, meanwhile, reported zero education spending in the first quarter of 2026, while Rivers State was not included in the available data.
For Abia, the sixth-place ranking represents a significant position in the national education spending landscape and highlights the state’s increased focus on education as a tool for human capital development.
With continued investments in school infrastructure, digital learning and improved educational facilities, the state’s education spending in subsequent quarters will be closely watched to determine whether the momentum recorded in Q1 translates into further improvements across the sector.