By Muhammad Amaan
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated its commitment to support Kano State Government in tackling the impact of climate change on children in the state.
Mrs Stella Terver, UNICEF WASH Programme Officer, Kano Field Office, stated this on Tuesday in Kano at a stakeholders’ engagement on the review Alf Kano State Climate Change Policy and Development Implementation Plan.
Terver noted that the organisation’s mission was to ensure that children not only survive but also thrive and realise their rights.
She called for specific policies within Nigeria’s climate change plans to address their vulnerabilities, and urged for a collective commitment to foster a safer, healthier environment for children.
The officer added that the organisation remained dedicated to advocating for children, affirming that they were fundamental to the future of society and deserving of a life filled with opportunity and dignity.
She said that UNICEF had been supporting Kano State Government on aspect of interventions because the organization stood for children.
“Each time we talk climate change,we talk about how it impact on the children in Kano State .
“All we do is targeted at children, be it WASH, education, health, policy, child protection, all of them is targeted on children.
“Today, the climate change aspect we are looking at is to support the state government to ensure that the policy document has a global context that addresses the impact it has on the children, that is key,” she explained.
She said that UNICEF would continue to position itself in supporting the government on issues around climate change.
According to her, the organisation is ever ready and will continue to support Kano state government to secure lives of children in the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Nasiru Garo, said the occasion was a critical step to confront the existential threat posed by climate change.
According to him, this validation of the Draft Kano State Climate Change Policy marks a pivotal moment in the pursuit of sustainable development and climate resilience not only for Kano State but also for the broader region.
“The realities of climate change are no longer distant or abstract, across the Sahel and northern Nigeria, as we are seeing.
“Frequent droughts that threaten agricultural productivity, causing food insecurity. Unpredictable rainfall patterns that disrupt the planting seasons.
“Desertification encroaching on fertile lands and forcing communities to migrate. Heatwaves and flooding leading to severe health risks, displacement, and destruction of infrastructure.
“All these, if left unaddressed, the impacts will not only undermine livelihoods and economic progress but will also worsen poverty, increase conflicts over natural resources, and strain the social systems,” Garo said.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary, Kano Watershed, Erosion and Climate Change Management Agency (KN-WECCMA), Dr Muhammad Khalil, called for commitment to build a climate-resilient state.
Khalil said that the process adopted in developing the Kano State Climate Change Policy involved close engagements with various stakeholders from ministries, departments and agencies within Kano State.
He said that the Academia, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and women’s groups were also consulted.
He said that the purpose of the engagement was to generate inputs from all sections of society to check the impact of climate change.
