The United Kingdom (UK) government has announced a £19 million funding commitment to develop Climate-Resilient health and education facilities in Kano and Jigawa States.
This was contained in a statement issued by the communication specialist of UNICEF Nigeria Kano Field Office, Samuel Kaalu.
He said the decision was reached at a joint inauguration by the UK government, UNICEF, Federal Ministry of Health and the governments of Kano and Jigawa States of 84 climate-resilient schools and health care facilities under the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS) initiative.
CRIBS is a pioneering and innovative programme piloting a new approach to protect essential health and education services from the growing threats of climate change. Nigeria ranks second globally in climate-related risks to children, with millions affected annually by floods, droughts, and extreme heat.
The approach has been developed to assess and strengthen 84 facilities, 39 primary healthcare centres and 45 schools in Kano and Jigawa through targeted climate adaptation measures.
The inauguration of the model facilities marks a milestone in demonstrating scalable, community-owned solutions to climate vulnerability that the Federal and state governments can adopt. The events included ribbon-cutting ceremonies, site visits, and media engagements, showcasing how climate-resilient infrastructure can protect essential health and education services, which save lives and support children’s education.
“The UK government is proud to support the government of Nigeria through this £19 million commitment to the CRIBS programme. This work has been developed through a partnership of organisations and experts, including the Federal Government of Nigeria, the UK government, UNICEF, World Bank, World Health Organisation, Sextant Foundation, JigSaw, Fab Inc, Crown Agent and UK Lafiya Programme.
“CRIBS demonstrates how climate-resilient infrastructure can improve access to basic services for vulnerable populations. We hope this model inspires broader replication across Nigeria,” the development director of Nigeria, British High Commission Abuja, Cynthia Rowe, said.
“This initiative is a testament to what strong partnerships can achieve,” UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, said.
“By investing in climate-smart infrastructure, we are protecting services and empowering communities to safeguard their children’s future. CRIBS is a model for building resilience where it matters most, at the frontline of service delivery,” Saeed added.
