By Edward Oseghe
The United Kingdom has committed £19 million (approximately $24 million) to support the development of climate-resilient health and education infrastructure in Nigeria.
The funding was announced in a joint statement on Tuesday by the British High Commission and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), during an inauguration ceremony held in partnership with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, and the governments of Kano and Jigawa States.
The initiative, known as the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS), aims to strengthen essential services against the growing impacts of climate change. The £19 million investment will facilitate the construction of 84 climate-resilient facilities—39 primary healthcare centres and 45 schools—across vulnerable communities.
““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 statement said.
The intervention is a pioneering programme testing a new model to safeguard critical health and education services.
The approach incorporates targeted climate adaptation measures to reinforce infrastructure resilience, with the goal of creating sustainable, community-owned solutions that can be replicated nationwide.
Cynthia Rowe, Development Director at the British High Commission in Abuja, said the investment reflects strong collaboration between the UK and Nigerian partners.
“This work has been developed through strong partnerships involving the federal government of Nigeria, the UK government, UNICEF, the World Bank, WHO, Sextant Foundation, JigSaw, Fab Inc., Crown Agents, and the UK Lafiya Programme.
“CRIBS shows how climate-resilient infrastructure can improve access to basic services for vulnerable populations,” she said.
UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, praised the programme’s community-centered impact.
“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 build resilience where it matters most, at the frontline of service delivery,” the UNICEF official said.
Launched in April 2024 with funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), CRIBS aligns with both national and state priorities in climate adaptation, health, and education. Initially implemented in Kano and Jigawa, the programme has since expanded to Bauchi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, and Katsina States.
The project aims to provide a scalable, cost-effective blueprint for delivering sustainable infrastructure in areas most vulnerable to climate-related disruptions.
