FG targets reliable electricity for 30 per cent of Nigeria’s health facilities by 2027 to improve healthcare delivery and reduce generator dependence.
The federal government has approved a new institutional and financing framework aimed at accelerating the electrification of healthcare facilities across the country, setting a target of providing reliable electricity to at least 30 per cent of Nigeria’s health facilities by the end of 2027.
The decision was taken at the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) of the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), a presidential programme jointly coordinated by the Federal Ministries of Power and Health and Social Welfare to improve electricity supply to hospitals and other healthcare facilities nationwide.
The meeting, chaired by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, and co-chaired by the Minister of Power, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, also brought together senior government officials, development partners and members of the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC), which presented recommendations for the implementation of the initiative.
Speaking at the meeting, Tegbe said the programme had reached a stage where emphasis must shift from policy announcements to the delivery of completed projects capable of improving healthcare services across the country.
Describing the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative as one of the flagship programmes of the Bola Tinubu administration, the minister stressed the need to prioritise the energisation of teaching hospitals, state hospitals and primary healthcare centres.
He noted that the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) had already provided electricity to five federal teaching hospitals and several other health facilities nationwide.
He stated that reliable electricity would significantly reduce hospitals’ dependence on diesel generators, improve patient care and enhance the operation of critical medical equipment, adding that the Ministry of Power would continue to prioritise funding for the initiative while ensuring value for money.
For his part, Salako disclosed that the Steering Committee approved a financing framework designed to mobilise investments for healthcare electrification and also adopted a facility energy management framework that will require participating hospitals to establish sustainable systems for managing their energy infrastructure.
According to him, the committee also approved eight private sector proposals for further engagement from about 70 submissions received during the National Healthcare Electrification Investor Matchmaking Week held in Lagos.
He added that Energy Management Teams had already been established in federal tertiary hospitals, while state governments were being encouraged to establish similar structures as part of efforts to institutionalise the initiative through dedicated budgetary provisions and a full-time Project Coordination Unit.
In his comments, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Mr. Mahmud Mamman, described uninterrupted electricity as essential to modern healthcare delivery, stressing that dependable power was critical for operating medical equipment, preserving vaccines, supporting laboratories and strengthening emergency response systems.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Canadian High Commission have identified several areas of collaboration aimed at modernising Nigeria’s electricity sector through technology transfer, capacity development, renewable energy integration, digital transformation and investment in critical power infrastructure.
The partnership discussions took place during a visit by the Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. David Sproule, to the NISO headquarters in Abuja, where he was received by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NISO, Engr. Abdu Bello Mohammed, alongside members of the management team.
Mohammed said the engagement represented an important step towards strengthening bilateral cooperation in the electricity sector, noting that NISO, established under the Electricity Act 2023, was responsible for system operations, market operations, system planning and enforcement of electricity market rules and grid codes.
He said the organisation was driving power sector modernisation through the deployment of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, Energy Management Systems, advanced electricity market trading platforms, telemetry and Advanced Metering Infrastructure.
According to him, NISO is also planning national grid expansion, promoting renewable energy integration and encouraging private sector investment through public-private partnerships.
Responding, Sproule congratulated NISO on its establishment and expressed Canada’s readiness to support Nigeria’s energy transition by leveraging Canadian expertise in electricity market operations, renewable energy integration, energy storage technologies, cybersecurity and digital grid management.
In a related development, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has commended the Omelu Community Vigilante for arresting a suspected vandal allegedly attempting to damage one of its transmission towers along the Benin-Onitsha 330kV transmission line.
According to TCN, the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Humphry Analafrom Auchi in Edo State, was apprehended during a routine patrol by members of the vigilante group at about 2.30 a.m. on August 2 while allegedly attempting to loosen components at the base of the transmission tower.
The company said the suspect had been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for investigation and possible prosecution, adding that preliminary findings indicated he had previously been arrested by the same community over a similar alleged offence but was later released after pleading for leniency.
TCN commended both the Omelu Community Vigilante and the NSCDC for their continued efforts in protecting critical national power infrastructure and urged host communities and members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities around transmission installations.
