The Federal Government has approved an institutional reform and financing framework aimed at accelerating the electrification of health facilities across Nigeria, as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery through reliable electricity supply.
The decision was reached during the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee of the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), a presidential programme jointly coordinated by the Federal Ministries of Power and Health and Social Welfare.
The initiative targets reliable electricity for at least 30 per cent of Nigeria’s health facilities by the end of 2027.
The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Isiaq Salako, and co-chaired by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.
Speaking at the meeting, Tegbe said the programme must move beyond policy discussions to visible project implementation, describing the initiative as one of the flagship programmes of the Tinubu administration.
He emphasised the importance of ensuring that teaching hospitals, state hospitals and primary healthcare centres receive uninterrupted power supply, noting that the Rural Electrification Agency has already electrified five federal teaching hospitals and several other health facilities across the country.
According to him, reliable electricity would reduce hospitals’ dependence on generators, improve patient outcomes and strengthen healthcare services nationwide.
Salako disclosed that the steering committee approved a financing framework designed to attract investments into healthcare electrification, alongside a facility energy management framework requiring hospitals to establish sustainable systems for managing energy infrastructure.
He revealed that eight private sector proposals had been approved for further engagement from about 70 submissions received during the National Healthcare Electrification Investor Matchmaking Week held in Lagos.
The minister also said Energy Management Teams have already been established in federal tertiary hospitals, while state governments are being encouraged to create similar structures.
He added that the initiative would be institutionalised through dedicated budgetary allocations and a full-time Project Coordination Unit to oversee implementation.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Mahmud Mamman, described uninterrupted electricity as essential for operating critical medical equipment, preserving vaccines, supporting laboratory services and strengthening emergency healthcare response systems.
The Nigeria Power for Health Initiative is expected to strengthen healthcare infrastructure by addressing one of the sector’s most persistent challenges—unreliable electricity supply.
