The United Kingdom (UK) has announced a £19 million funding commitment to support the development of climate-resilient health and education facilities in Nigeria.
The announcement was made on Tuesday at the joint inauguration of 84 climate-resilient schools and primary healthcare centres in Kano and Jigawa States.
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The project is part of the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS) initiative, led by the UK Government in partnership with the federal government, UNICEF, and the governments of Kano and Jigawa States.
According to the organisers, in a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES, the CRIBS programme is designed to protect essential services from the growing threats of climate change.
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Nigeria is ranked the second most vulnerable country globally for climate-related risks to children, with millions affected each year by floods, droughts, and extreme heat.
Climate interventions
The initiative, according to the statement, has assessed and strengthened 39 primary healthcare centres and 45 schools in the two states through targeted climate adaptation measures.
Officials said the model facilities demonstrate scalable, community-owned solutions that could be adopted more widely by federal and state authorities.
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Speaking at the event, Cynthia Rowe, Development Director at the British High Commission in Abuja, said the programme shows how partnerships can deliver sustainable solutions.
“The UK government is proud to support the government of Nigeria through this £19m commitment to the CRIBS programme. This work has been developed through a partnership of organisations and experts, including the federal government of Nigeria, UNICEF, World Bank, World Health Organisation, Sextant Foundation, JigSaw, Fab Inc, Crown Agent and UK Lafiya Programme,” Ms Rowe said.
“CRIBS demonstrates how climate-resilient infrastructure can improve access to basic services for vulnerable populations. We hope this model inspires broader replication across Nigeria.”
More details
In his remarks, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, said the initiative is a model for building resilience in frontline service delivery.
“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,” Ms Saeed said.
The inauguration featured ribbon-cutting ceremonies, site visits, and media engagements to showcase how climate-resilient infrastructure can protect essential services, safeguard lives, and support children’s education.
READ ALSO: FCDO, UNICEF hail Jigawa as model state in nutrition, climate resilience
About CRIBS
Launched in April 2024, CRIBS is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and developed through a partnership approach from a range of Nigeria government, international organisations and experts. The main implementing partner has been UNICEF.
CRIBS 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.
Based on the successful implementation of the approach in Kano and Jigawa States, the initiative has been expanded to include Bauchi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna and Katsina states.
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