Mohammed Abubakar Dutse
The Jigawa state government has made a strong commitment to collaborate with international development partners to mitigate the harsh effect of climate change.
The state governor Malam Umar Namadi, who made the pledge on Monday during a hand over ceremony of the upgraded basic infrastructure comprising primary health care facilities, schools, water and sanitation facilities at Chamo community on the outskirts of Dutse, the state capital.
The project funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) in collaboration with Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services,(CRIBS), Project, involve,s the total upgrading of Primary Health Care facilities as well as schools in the area.
On hand to perform the handing over ceremony were the Country Director of the FCDO Ms Cynthia Rowe and the Country Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), which is the implementing agency, Ms. Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef.
Jigawa is among several states facing yearly problems of excessive flooding that keep killing lives and destroying properties. Namadi said using such Climate Change Resilient Infrastructure innovation would, in no small measure, help the state address the yearly problems of flood and other similar issues.
He believed that with the facilities which were being put in place, lasting solutions are being found, noting that the initiative, if sustained could permanently lead to the perennial issues of flooding across the state.
The governor noted that flooding problems were real and devastating, as over the years his State has suffered the menace which was created by the Climate problems; therefore, he said they are ready to work in tandem with UNICEF and other development partners to address them.
The UNICEF chief who was speaking in Dutse Government House and Chamo local Government of Dutse, while handing over the Climate Change Resilient Infrastructure, reminded that
Nigeria is exposed to several climate hazards, such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, and sea-level rise, affecting millions of people each year.
She said, Nigeria is ranked second among the countries where children face the highest climate-related risks, directly threatening their ability to survive, grow, learn and fulfil their potential.
In response, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and several other partners, including the State Governments of Kano and Jigawa, developed an innovative project, the Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services (CRIBS) – Health and Education.”
Wafaa Saeed, who commented on Jigawa State Government for achieving Open Depiction stoppage and the provisions of enough toilets for its Citizens.
She commented the state government for being the first state in the country to attaining open defecation-free state and maintaining the status, attributing the development to the leadership qualities of the the governor.
Besides, the UNICEF chief confirmed that the state has attained more than 60% of polio virus eradication, but pledged to work with the state government to ensure 100% eradication by the end of the year.
She announced the UNICEF moves to help Jigawa State with the problem of out-of-school children, adding that with the efforts of the Umar Namadi administration on education, sooner than later, they would curtail the problems.
Ms Rowe, on her part commended the governor’s leadership qualities which has in the last two years recorded tremendous achievements, especially in the area human development and poverty reduction through forward- looking policies.
Rowe, who was named the Country Director of FCDO said she’s received adequate briefing regarding the activities of the state government under the leader of the governor. She said the relationship between FCDO and the state government had endured for over three decades, rstating her commitments to ensuring that the initiatives was expanded to cover other parts of the state.
She disclosed that the UK government through her agency was spending over £19 million in the execution of the project, which taking place in three LGAs in the state.
In his goodwill message, the emir of Dutse, Alhaji Hamim Nuhu Sanusi commended the FCDO and UNICEF for their interests in the development of the state for three decades, saying that the story of the state would not be complete without their input being mentioned.
The monarch noted that the effect of climate change was real, attributing it to indiscriminate felling of tree, but noted that it would continue unless the people find alternative to such habits.
He said the cost of cooking instruments was beyond the reach of an average person and since they must survive every thing must be done for them to survive.
“So, I’m appealing to the FCDO to come out with research on how to find an alternative to using of firewood as means of energy to curtail incidences of indiscriminate felling of trees”.
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