By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse The Jigawa State Government has received commendation from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth ...
By Abdullahi Idris, Dutse
The Jigawa State Government has received commendation from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for its pioneering efforts in combating malnutrition and advancing climate-resilient infrastructure in schools and health facilities.
The recognition came during the official launch of the UK–Nigeria Climate Resilience Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS) programme, held in Chamo town, Dutse Local Government Area.
Ahead of the launch, FCDO and UNICEF officials—led by UNICEF Country Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed Abdellatef, and FCDO Development Director, Ms. Cynthia Rowe—paid a courtesy visit to Governor Malam Umar Namadi at the Government House in Dutse.
In her remarks, Ms. Cynthia Rowe reaffirmed the UK government’s long-standing confidence in Jigawa’s leadership and development approach.
“We have enjoyed a 20-year partnership with Jigawa State. Jigawa is truly important to us. CRIBS offers a structured pathway to climate resilience, and we are eager to scale it across Jigawa and northern Nigeria,” she stated.
Similarly, UNICEF’s Ms. Wafaa Saeed Abdellatef described Jigawa as a model state in nutrition, sanitation, and climate resilience.
“We are here to hand over upgraded, climate-resilient schools and health facilities funded by the UK government. Jigawa has made remarkable strides—it is the first state in Nigeria to achieve and maintain Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status,” she noted.
She also praised the state's innovative Masaki Initiative, which provides preventive and curative services for malnourished children under five. She commended Jigawa’s annual counterpart funding, which supports climate-resilient interventions critical to addressing malnutrition.
In his address, Governor Umar Namadi highlighted the state’s vulnerability to climate-induced disasters, particularly recurrent flooding, which has caused severe damage to infrastructure, livelihoods, and service delivery.
“Jigawa has suffered greatly from perennial floods, resulting in the destruction of roads, schools, and health facilities, as well as loss of livelihoods and, tragically, lives. These disruptions have significantly affected our efforts in the education and health sectors—key pillars in ensuring that children survive, grow, learn, and fulfill their potential,” the governor said.
He disclosed that Phase I of the CRIBS programme had successfully renovated 90 health and education facilities across the three pilot local government areas. These include Chamo Primary School (established in 1960) and Chamo Primary Health Centre (established in 1965), both now remodeled to withstand the effects of climate change.
“About a quarter of these projects—eleven health facilities and eleven schools—are spread across the three pilot LGAs. We expect wider coverage in the second phase, with more LGAs and facilities included,” he added.
Governor Namadi announced plans for a gradual expansion of the CRIBS initiative across more local government areas, citing the increasing threats of climate change in the state.
“As a demonstration of our appreciation and due to the long-term impact of these interventions, Jigawa State will pursue a phased scale-up of the CRIBS programme. This is vital, given the high exposure of many communities to climate-related disasters,” he stated.
He expressed deep gratitude to both FCDO and UNICEF, describing them as Jigawa’s most consistent and enduring development partners.
“While technical and development assistance is declining in some regions, FCDO and UNICEF remain steadfast in supporting Jigawa. We are sincerely grateful and look forward to deeper collaboration, especially in the scale-up of CRIBS and other ongoing initiatives,” the governor concluded.
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