The federal government, in partnership with the UK Government through UNICEF, has invested £19 million under the Climate Resilient for Basic Infrastructure (CRIBS) programme to deliver 84 climate-resilient health and education facilities across Kano and Jigawa states.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Mr. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, disclosed this while speaking at a Media and Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services in primary healthcare centres and schools in Kano and Jigawa States, held at Tashir Guest Palace.
Farah said the facilities were inaugurated last year, adding that the success recorded in Kano and Jigawa had prompted the expansion of the initiative to other parts of the country.
“Based on the successful implementation of the approach in Kano and Jigawa States, the initiative has been expanded this year to include Bauchi, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, and Katsina states,” he said.
He stressed that while setting mutually acceptable service standards was crucial to achieving the social and health benefits that encourage investment, equal attention must be paid to sustainability.
Read Also: President seeks global support to tackle climate-induced mobility
According to him, duty bearers, stakeholders, and communities must take responsibility for the proper maintenance of WASH facilities in health facilities and schools to prevent deterioration and loss of impact.
Farah underscored the critical role of the media in driving change through sustained advocacy, urging journalists to spotlight gaps identified by the WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) in Kano and Jigawa.
He called on the media to demand transparency in state budgets, track allocations for boreholes, latrines, and soap in health and educational facilities, and hold governments at all levels accountable to their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) commitments.
“Media stories can amplify children’s voices, put pressure on decision-makers to prioritise WASH funding, and mobilise communities turning data into action for healthier futures,” he said.
Farah urged stakeholders to work tirelessly to expose neglect and advocate for the provision of WASH facilities in every school and clinic, insisting that Nigerian children deserve nothing less.