FG Targets 24 Hour Electricity For Hospitals Nationwide By 2027

(Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako. Photo Credit: The News Digest)

The Federal Government has endorsed a financing structure and institutional reforms aimed at accelerating electricity provision to health facilities nationwide, establishing a target of delivering consistent 24-hour power to no fewer than 30 per cent of Nigeria's healthcare institutions by the conclusion of 2027.

The approval emerged from the third convening of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee overseeing the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative, a presidential programme administered jointly by the health and power ministries designed to enhance electrical access across public health settings.

The Minister of State for Health disclosed that the committee endorsed revised governance frameworks, validated an energy management protocol for health facilities, and approved eight private sector submissions for continued dialogue following their selection from approximately 70 applications submitted during an investor engagement forum conducted in Lagos.

These determinations represent substantial progress toward delivering uninterrupted electricity to hospital infrastructure through collaborative public-private arrangements.

The steering committee examined technical committee findings and endorsed a financing mechanism to attract capital for healthcare electrification alongside an institutional energy management framework requiring participating hospitals to establish sustainable infrastructure maintenance systems. Energy Management Teams have been constituted within federal tertiary hospitals, with state administrations encouraged to implement analogous structures.

The initiative will be institutionalised through dedicated budgetary allocations and establishment of a permanent Project Coordination Unit to manage deployment activities.

The government's objective, as sanctioned by the President, is delivering consistent electricity access to at least 30 per cent of health facilities through public-private arrangements prioritising energy-as-a-service distribution models.

Deployment strategies will vary according to individual facility requirements, with mini-grids, gas systems, and other technologies applied contextually rather than through uniform application.

Since inauguration eight months prior, foundational governance structures have been established whilst electrification projects progress concurrently across primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare settings.

The Rural Electrification Agency has already installed containerised solar systems in approximately 100 hospitals nationwide.

Regarding timeframes for resolving power interruptions in tertiary institutions, discussion was reframed as part of the government's comprehensive electricity sector transformation.

The Minister for Power characterised the initiative as a flagship programme where emphasis now transitions from ceremonial events to tangible project execution and facility commissioning.

Dependable electricity access remains indispensable for critical medical equipment operation, vaccine preservation, laboratory functionality, and emergency response systems.

Historically, inadequate electrical supply has constituted a principal constraint on healthcare delivery, compelling numerous public hospitals to depend substantially on diesel generators powering operating theatres, intensive care units, laboratories, blood banking, oxygen production, and cold-chain vaccine and medicine preservation.

Escalating energy expenses have compounded operational difficulties for tertiary institutions, with several facilities expending hundreds of millions of naira annually on diesel and electrical procurement.

The President authorised the initiative in December 2025 following a National Power for Health Dialogue.

The framework employs public-private collaboration to deploy tailored energy interventions including solar mini-grids, gas systems, and renewable alternatives across health institutions.

The programme will establish a comprehensive healthcare electrification project database to optimise coordination, minimise project duplication, and facilitate private sector capital attraction.