President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing sustainable electricity to Nigeria’s health sector, warning that unreliable supply is undermining care delivery.
At the first National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector in Abuja, Tinubu—represented by SGF George Akume—said the government was expanding solar and hybrid systems, advancing decentralised energy reforms, and encouraging private sector investment through public–private partnerships.
Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu cited mini-grid installations in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic and new large-scale solar projects at teaching hospitals in Maiduguri and Calabar. But Health Minister Iziaq Salako said 40 per cent of primary health centres still lack power, while some institutions spend nearly half their budgets on fuel.
Coordinating Health Minister Muhammad Pate said fixing electricity and internet connectivity would transform Nigeria’s health system and reduce medical tourism.
The two-day forum ends Wednesday with a collaborative plan expected to outline financing and implementation strategies.
