UK Commits £19m to Climate-Resilient Health and Education Facilities in Nigeria

The United Kingdom Government has committed £19 million to strengthen climate-resilient health and education infrastructure in Nigeria, with the aim of protecting essential services from the growing impacts of climate change.

The funding supports the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS) initiative, jointly implemented by the UK Government, UNICEF, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health, and the Governments of Kano and Jigawa States.

On Tuesday, 84 climate-resilient facilities — including 39 primary healthcare centres and 45 schools — were inaugurated under CRIBS in Kano and Jigawa.

Climate Risk to Children in Nigeria

Nigeria ranks second globally in climate-related risks to children, with millions affected each year by floods, droughts, and extreme heat. The CRIBS programme introduces climate-smart adaptation measures to ensure schools and hospitals remain safe and functional during extreme weather.

A Scalable Model for Resilience

Speaking at the inauguration, Cynthia Rowe, Development Director at the British High Commission in Abuja, said the initiative demonstrates how climate-resilient infrastructure can improve access to vital services:

“This £19m investment shows the UK’s commitment to helping Nigeria build resilience where it matters most. CRIBS is a model that can be replicated across the country to protect health and education systems.”

Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria, added that the initiative reflects the power of strong partnerships:

“By investing in climate-smart infrastructure, we are not only protecting services but also empowering communities to safeguard their children’s future.”

Expansion and Partnerships

CRIBS, launched in April 2024 and funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), is being expanded beyond Kano and Jigawa to Bauchi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, and Katsina States.

It is being implemented in collaboration with global partners including the World Bank, World Health Organisation, Sextant Foundation, JigSaw, Fab Inc, Crown Agent, and the UK Lafiya Programme.

Broader UK Climate Support

The commitment builds on the UK’s broader support for Nigeria’s climate resilience efforts. Recently, Britain invested $7.5 million through British International Investment (BII) in agritech enterprise Babban Gona, targeting 140,000 smallholder farmers in Northern Nigeria by 2029 to boost agricultural productivity and protect livelihoods from climate shocks.