North-East States Fail to Meet Nigeria's Education Policy Budget Benchmark

Six North-east states budgeted N546 billion for education in 2026, but none meets the 26 per cent education policy benchmark, while gaps in 2025 spending and limited funding for Almajiri education expose uneven government commitment to tackling the region's education crisis. Six states in Nigeria's North-east have collectively allocated N546.1 billion to education in their 2026 budgets, but none meets the 26 per cent education spending benchmark recommended by Nigeria's National Policy on Education. The six states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe. Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn Nigeria's National Policy on Education prescribes a 26 per cent allocation to education, while the National Policy on Enhancement of Almajiri Education (2025) mandates structured funding for integrating Almajiri children into formal learning systems. The allocations show major differences in the priority given to education across the region, as well as wide variations in how effectively states implemented their 2025 education budgets. PREMIUM TIMES' review of the 2026 budgets also found that while some states earmarked substantial sums for school construction, rehabilitation, scholarships and tertiary institutions, provisions specifically targeting the education and integration of Almajiri children remain limited in Adamawa, Borno and Taraba. Integrating Almajiri children in school is important because of the concentration of out-of-school children in northern Nigeria and the federal government's concern about the Almajiri system. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, in January 2025, said that Nigeria needed increased funding to address the Almajiri and out-of-school children crisis, noting that only a few of more than 100 schools built for Almajiri children were still operational. PREMIUM TIMES' recent review of North-west budgets similarly found substantial differences among states in funding for Almajiri education, with some states making specific provisions while others had no visible allocation. Adamawa tops education budget in North-east Adamawa allocated N113.38 billion to education from its N583.33 billion 2026 budget, representing 19.4 per cent. Among the major education-related allocations are N3.55 billion for foreign scholarships, N1.23 billion for students' scholarship allowances, N3.9 billion for construction of a College of Medical Sciences complex, and N3.5 billion for construction of a Faculty of Engineering complex at Adamawa State University, Mubi. The state also budgeted N2 billion for payment of WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and Basic Certificate Examination fees, while N3.75 billion was provided as take-off funding for the Adamawa State College of Technology. However, PREMIUM TIMES found no specific provision for Almajiri education in the 2026 budget. The state's 2025 education budget also raises questions about implementation. Adamawa had budgeted N102 billion for education but spent only N47.93 billion, about 47 per cent performance. Bauchi earmarked 15.1 per cent budget to education Bauchi allocated N131.72 billion to education from its N877.05 billion 2026 budget, representing 15.01 per cent. The allocation includes N2.29 billion for the rehabilitation of 1,003 schools, while another N2.3 billion is earmarked for the purchase of 4,500 chairs and 4,500 tables for upper secondary schools. The state also budgeted N2 billion for construction of a perimeter wall at Sa'adu Zungur University. It budgeted N758.5 million in capital expenditure for the Bauchi State Agency for Nomadic Education which also covers Almajiri education. In 2025, Bauchi spent N50.28 billion out of a budgeted N64.98 billion for education, representing 77.4 per cent implementation. Borno lowest on Almajiri education among states with provision Borno's N892.45 billion 2026 budget includes N134.90 billion for education, representing 15.1 per cent. Among the largest projects is N17 billion for the construction of mega public seco