UK Pledges £19m For Climate-Resilient Health And Education Facilities In Nigeria
The United Kingdom has pledged £19 million to boost Nigeria’s climate-resilient schools and healthcare.
The CRIBS initiative, launched with UNICEF, aims to protect vital services from worsening climate change impacts.
The United Kingdom has committed £19 million to strengthen climate-resilient health and education facilities in Nigeria, in a move designed to protect vital services from the escalating impacts of climate change.
The announcement, made on Tuesday by UNICEF, coincided with the inauguration of 84 upgraded schools and healthcare facilities across Kano and Jigawa States. The initiative, known as the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS), is a partnership between the UK Government, UNICEF, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, and state governments.
CRIBS aims to safeguard essential services, particularly those serving children and vulnerable groups, by adapting infrastructure to withstand floods, droughts, and extreme heat. Nigeria is the second most climate-vulnerable country in the world for children, with millions affected annually by climate-related disasters.
Under the program, 39 primary healthcare centers and 45 schools have been strengthened through targeted adaptation measures, setting a model for how Nigeria can address climate risks while ensuring continuity in health care and education.
Cynthia Rowe, the Development Director at the British High Commission in Abuja, referred to the initiative as a significant milestone in collaborative climate action.
“This £19m commitment reflects our pride in supporting Nigeria to protect critical services. CRIBS demonstrates how climate-resilient infrastructure can improve access to health and education for vulnerable populations, and we hope this model inspires broader adoption nationwide,” Rowe said.
A broad coalition, including the World Bank, World Health Organization, Sextant Foundation, JigSaw, Fab Inc, Crown Agent, and the UK Lafiya Programme, back the project.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, highlighted the importance of partnership in tackling climate challenges:
“By investing in climate-smart infrastructure, we are not only protecting services but empowering communities to safeguard their children’s future. CRIBS shows how resilience can be built at the very frontline of service delivery,” Saeed noted.
The inauguration of these facilities signals a practical step forward in Nigeria’s climate action agenda and aligns with both federal and state priorities in health, education, and climate adaptation.
