The UK Government has announced a £19 million funding commitment to develop climate-resilient health and education facilities in Nigeria to protect essential services from the growing impacts of climate change.
A statement issued by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday, indicated that 84 climate-resilient schools and healthcare facilities were jointly inaugurated under the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS) initiative by the UK Government, UNICEF, the Federal Ministry of Health, and Governments of Kano and Jigawa States.
CRIBS, which was launched in April 2024 and is being funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), is an innovative intervention programme facilitaing a new approach to protect essential health and education services globally from the growing threats of climate change.
With Nigeria ranking second globally in climate-related risks to children, with millions affected annually by floods, droughts, and extreme heat, the CRIBS 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.
- Advertisement -
Commenting on the initiative in Nigeria, Development Director Nigeria, British High Commission, Abuja, Cynthia Rowe, said the UK government was very proud to support the Nigeria through the £19 million commitment to the CRIBS programme.
She said: “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 Director added.
In his remarks, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, described the initiative as a demonstration of what strong partnerships can achieve.
He said: “By investing in climate-smart infrastructure, we are not only protecting services but also empowering communities to safeguard their children’s future.
CRIBS is a model for how we can build resilience where it matters most, at the frontline of service delivery”, Saeed added.
The inauguration of the CRIBS, which is a comprehensive and systematic approach to developing affordable, high-impact, and scalable models of climate-resilient infrastructure for basic services, with a focus on vulnerable communities, aligns with national and subnational priorities in climate action, health, and education, and reflects the UK’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to mitigate climate risks and improve service delivery.
