- Reliable electricity drives quality healthcare delivery and saves lives across Nigeria.
- Public-private collaboration and renewable energy remain vital to bridging the power gap in the health sector.
Electricity powers every aspect of modern life. In hospitals, it determines whether patients survive, surgeries succeed, or vaccines remain effective. Yet, bridging the energy gap in Nigeria’s health sector remains a critical national challenge. Across the country, hospitals battle erratic power supply, rising bills, and poor backup systems.
In 2024, the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan revealed the severity of this crisis. The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company disconnected the hospital from the national grid because of unpaid monthly debts of nearly ₦99 million. For more than 100 days, UCH functioned in near darkness. Patients endured long waits for test results, surgeries slowed down, and newborns lacked access to incubators.
A hospital worker explained that management installed solar inverters in some units. However, the system powered only 50 out of more than 1,000 beds. Many patients could not access emergency procedures, and medical teams struggled to maintain operations.
The Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital faced a similar situation when a ₦949.88 million debt almost caused disconnection. Government intervention prevented it, and soon after, the hospital commissioned a 4-megawatt solar hybrid power system. The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology described this step as progress towards sustainable hospital energy use.
The Federal Government later organised the first National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector. The event focused on financing, renewable energy, and strong public-private partnerships. The Minister of State for Health noted that 40 per cent of Primary Healthcare Centres operate without electricity, while tertiary hospitals spend up to ₦180 million monthly on power and fuel.
Experts agreed that bridging the energy gap in Nigeria’s health sector demands innovative funding and active private participation. The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission encouraged wider use of Public-Private Partnerships. Likewise, the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria warned that excluding private hospitals could weaken overall healthcare delivery since they provide over 60 per cent of services nationwide.
President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his government’s plan to expand solar and hybrid systems through the Renewed Hope Agenda. Stakeholders later signed a pact to improve power access in health institutions by 50 per cent within two years.
These efforts signal renewed optimism for patients, doctors, and communities. With reliable electricity, Nigerian hospitals can save more lives and build a stronger, healthier nation.