By Abdullahi Lukman
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will rehabilitate and retrofit 24 water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in schools and primary healthcare centres across four local government areas of Katsina State under its Climate-Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services II (CRIBS II) project.
Uba Lawal, a WASH Specialist with UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists in Katsina. He said the benefiting local government areas are Charanchi, Mani, Dutsi and Mai’adua.
According to Lawal, the intervention is aimed at strengthening water and sanitation facilities against climate-related disasters such as flooding, drought, heat stress and windstorms, ensuring uninterrupted access to essential services during emergencies.
The project is funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and focuses on improving the resilience of schools and healthcare centres to the growing impacts of climate change.
Lawal explained that the first phase of the initiative was implemented in Kano and Jigawa states, where 84 facilities were upgraded, including 55 in Kano and 29 in Jigawa.
He noted that Katsina and Jigawa were selected for the second phase due to the extensive work already completed in Kano.
He added that UNICEF would engage key stakeholders to raise awareness about the project and outline their responsibilities in supporting its implementation.
Lawal reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to working with partners to mitigate the effects of climate change, particularly on children and vulnerable communities.
