Red Cross Takes Climate Awareness Door to Door in Borno, Nigeria

The Nigerian Red Cross Society, Borno State Branch, has stepped up a public climate awareness campaign in Borno State, taking its message beyond workshops into homes, places of worship, motor parks and markets, according to a report from Maiduguri.

The campaign, run with the NHF and OCHA, focuses on communities in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area, where volunteers are engaging residents directly on climate-related risks, preventive measures and the importance of community participation.

A workshop that reaches the street

The call was made during a stakeholder workshop on climate change and its associated challenges, which brought together government officials, community leaders, religious scholars, representatives of organisations and Red Cross volunteers to discuss changing weather patterns and ways of strengthening community resilience.

Speaking to journalists, the chairman of the Borno State branch, Dr Bulama Mali Gubio, said climate change affects health, livelihoods and the general wellbeing of communities, and that human activities are among the factors contributing to the changing climate. He warned that its consequences could create conditions that help spread disease, with children and other vulnerable people particularly exposed, and urged the public to heed expert advice and take practical steps to protect themselves and their environment.

The branch secretary, Muhammad Zannah Barma, said the campaign had gone beyond formal workshops: volunteers are visiting homes, places of worship, motor parks and markets to sensitise residents.

Practical help alongside awareness

Speakers at the workshop also highlighted interventions by participating organisations to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable households, including business capital and equipment for beneficiaries to support livelihoods and improve their capacity to cope with economic and environmental challenges.

The workshop featured interactive discussions, a question-and-answer session and a review of activities under the initiative. Participants reaffirmed the importance of sustained public education, community involvement and coordinated action among government, humanitarian organisations, traditional and religious leaders and local communities.

The wider Red Cross anticipatory-action work in the same two local government areas, reported separately, targets more than 250,000 people through radio programmes, community dialogues, talk shows, house-to-house campaigns and information materials, with 60 trained volunteers conducting door-to-door awareness work.

FAKTA

• Who: Nigerian Red Cross Society, Borno State Branch, with the NHF and OCHA.
• Where: Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area, Borno State, Nigeria.
• How: stakeholder workshop plus volunteers visiting homes, places of worship, motor parks and markets.
• Message: take climate warnings seriously; health, livelihoods and wellbeing are all affected; children and vulnerable people face the greatest risk.
• Support: business capital and equipment for vulnerable households, alongside awareness work.
• Wider programme: anticipatory-action work in the same areas targets 250,000+ people, with 60 trained volunteers.

Why Borno needs this message

Borno, in Nigeria’s Lake Chad region, faces a harsh combination of pressures: shifting rainfall, flooding, and communities already strained by conflict and displacement. In such a setting, awareness is not abstract — knowing when to act on a weather warning, where to seek help, and how to protect a household’s livelihood can reduce harm before a disaster strikes.

The organisers said continued awareness and practical community-level interventions remain critical to reducing climate risks and building healthier, safer and more resilient communities across Borno State.

Young people are central to this story worldwide: just days before the COP31 climate talks, youth delegates gather in Antalya to carry community experience into global negotiations. Read more here: COY21 in Antalya: the world’s largest youth climate gathering before COP31.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Borno climate awareness campaign?

It is a public awareness drive by the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Borno State Branch, with the NHF and OCHA, urging residents to take climate warnings seriously and adopt measures that protect their communities.

Where is it focused?

On communities in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area in Borno State, Nigeria, reached through workshops and direct visits to homes, places of worship, motor parks and markets.

Who took part in the workshop?

Government officials, community leaders, religious scholars, representatives of organisations and Red Cross volunteers, discussing changing weather patterns and community resilience.

What practical help was mentioned?

Participating organisations highlighted support for vulnerable households, including business capital and equipment to strengthen livelihoods and the capacity to cope with economic and environmental challenges.

Why are children singled out?

According to the branch chairman, Dr Bulama Mali Gubio, the consequences of climate change can create conditions that spread disease, with children and other vulnerable community members particularly exposed.