UNICEF Nigeria climate risks report ranks the country second worldwide as UK pledges £19m for climate-resilient health and education services

UNICEF Nigeria climate risks report has ranked the country second globally in child climate-related vulnerabilities, with millions of children exposed each year to floods, droughts, and extreme heat.

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The disclosure was made by UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria, Wafaa Saeed, during an event at the British High Commission in Abuja.

She stressed that investing in climate-smart infrastructure is crucial not only for protecting services but also for empowering communities to secure children’s futures.

In response to these growing threats, the United Kingdom Government announced a £19 million funding package aimed at boosting climate-resilient health and education services in Northern Nigeria.

The initiative will begin with pilot projects in Kano and Jigawa States.

Cynthia Rowe, UK Development Director for Nigeria, explained that the investment is designed as a scalable model.

“The initiative targets 84 newly improved facilities — 39 primary healthcare centres and 45 schools — upgraded to withstand the growing threats of climate change,” she said.

The programme, tagged Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS), seeks to safeguard essential services in vulnerable communities through climate adaptation.

The aim is to ensure that schools and healthcare centres remain operational even in the face of severe weather events.

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For UNICEF and its partners, the initiative marks a significant step in addressing Nigeria’s climate vulnerabilities and protecting the nation’s most at-risk population: its children.