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Health care industry

Nigeria's Health Sector Confronts Power Challenges: President Bola Tinubu's Commitment

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration's commitment to addressing the critical power challenges in Nigeria's health sector, pledging to implement targeted and innovative energy solutions. This commitment was made through a keynote address at the opening of the first National Stakeholders' Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector, themed: "Powering Health through Public-Private Synergy: Energising Nigeria's Health Sector for the Future." The event, which runs over two days, aims to produce a national collaborative plan of action to address the energy challenges hindering healthcare delivery across the country.

Key Takeaways:

  • President Bola Tinubu acknowledged that the current power situation in Nigeria's health sector increases healthcare costs, disrupts services, compromises quality, and fuels patient dissatisfaction.
  • The President emphasized that advancing energy access in hospitals is part of the broader Renewed Hope Agenda, aiming to implement the Energy Transition Plan and power sector reform initiatives to build a robust foundation for cleaner, more resilient, and decentralized energy delivery systems across Nigeria.
  • The administration is expanding off-grid solar and hybrid systems across critical public infrastructure, promoting Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to support sustainable energy deployment.
  • Minister Adebayo Adelabu highlighted that the Ministry of Power, through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has deployed solar hybrid mini-grids, standalone solar home systems, and other renewable solutions to electrify healthcare centres nationwide.
  • A survey revealed that 40% of functional Primary Health Centres lack electricity, while some Federal Tertiary Institutions spend between N20 million and N180 million monthly on power, with up to 50% of their operating expenses going into fuel.
  • The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, emphasized the importance of power and internet connectivity in transforming Nigeria's health system, calling for mobilising private capital through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to drive progress.

Statistics:

  • 40% of functional Primary Health Centres lack electricity (Source: Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako).
  • Some Federal Tertiary Institutions spend between N20 million and N180 million monthly on power, with up to 50% of their operating expenses going into fuel (Source: Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako).
  • 12MW hybrid solar system installed at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (Source: Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu).
  • 7MW system installed at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (Source: Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu).
  • 50kW solar mini-grids installed in about 100 health facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic (Source: Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu).

Sources:

  • Premium Times (Copyright 2025). All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  • Nigeria News Agency (NAN).

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