Nigeria Accounts for 10% out of 1 Billion Children Affected by Climate World Wide – UNICEF
UNICEF chief of field office Kano Mr. Rahma and students during the dialogue
By Khadija Aliyu
The UNICEF Chief of Kano Field Office, Mr. Rahama Muhammad Farah, made the indication during a dialogue organized between school children, and Kano policy makers to commemorate the 2023 universal Children’s Day.
According to him, current statistics, shows that, about One billion children are affected by climate change in countries which are vulnerable, saying that, Nigeria accounts for about 10 per cent of the total who are vulnerable and affected.
Mr. Rahma pointed out that, UNICEF developed an action plan from 2023 to 2027, to integrate climate change in all projects it is implementing across all sectors, to ensure resilience to the menace.
He explained that, the action plan incorporates a lot of actions that would enable UNICEF collaborate with government, stakeholders private sectors, community and religious leaders to address and mitigate the problem.
On his part, the Kano State Commissioner of Environment, Alhaji Nasiru Sule Garo hinted that, the state sensitized children on the dangers of climate change, and how to contribute their quota to reduce the impact.
He maintained that, sensitizing children on the role they can play to discourage their peers and others from open defecation,providing public toilets in strategic locations, would go a long way in attaining an open defecation free status.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman, Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Yusuf Kabir noted that, the state government has allocated N95 billion naira in the 2024 budget, to the education sector which is the first of its kind, in the history of the state.
Represented by the acting board Secretary, Amina Umar, said the state is also working ascidiously by constructing classrooms to decongest the students population.
The event themed “Impact of Climate Change on the lives of children”, witnessed large turn out of students,top government functionaries, and all relevant stakeholders in the education sector.
