The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is set to retrofit and rehabilitate 24 water and sanitation facilities in schools and primary healthcare centres across four local government areas of Katsina State.
Benefiting Local Government Areas
Uba Lawal, a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist with UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, disclosed this on Tuesday in Katsina while speaking with journalists. He identified the benefiting local government areas as Charanchi, Mani, Dutsi, and Mai’adua.
Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Project
According to him, the intervention, which forms part of the Climate-Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services II (CRIBS II) project, is aimed at strengthening facilities to withstand climate-related shocks such as flooding, heat stress, drought, and windstorms. He explained that the initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), is designed to ensure continuity of essential services in schools and healthcare centres during climate emergencies.
Previous Phase and Current Scope
Lawal noted that the first phase of the project was implemented in neighbouring Kano and Jigawa states, where a total of 84 facilities were upgraded—55 in Kano and 29 in Jigawa. He added that due to the scale of work already completed in Kano, only Jigawa and Katsina are benefiting from the second phase of the project.
Stakeholder Engagement
Lawal said UNICEF would engage relevant stakeholders to sensitise them on the CRIBS II project and clarify their roles in ensuring its successful implementation. He reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to continued collaboration with partners to address the impacts of climate change, particularly as it affects children and vulnerable communities.
