President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that fixing the power crisis in Nigeria’s hospitals is now a national priority, describing unreliable electricity in health facilities as a life-threatening challenge that demands urgent action.
Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the maiden National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector on Tuesday in Abuja, the President said reliable and affordable power is central to improving healthcare delivery and restoring public confidence.
He commended the collaboration between the Ministries of Health and Power, describing it as proof of his administration’s commitment to synergy among MDAs to solve critical problems.
“In surgical theatres, maternity wards, intensive care units, laboratories, and emergency rooms across the country, power outages too often compromise safety, interrupt care, and cost lives. These outages cannot continue, and under our administration, they should not. Lives are at stake. We must act now,” Tinubu said.
The President stressed that addressing energy challenges in hospitals is integral to his Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises tackling energy poverty, decentralising supply, and expanding private sector participation. He noted that government will leverage the Energy Transition Plan and power sector reforms to deploy off-grid solar and hybrid systems for hospitals, incentivise private investment, and use blended financing with development partners.
He challenged health institutions to adopt sustainable, community-driven solutions rather than temporary fixes and urged stakeholders to ensure the dialogue produces measurable outcomes such as:
policy alignment,
institutionalised energy audits,
mobilisation of social and green financing, and
a results-driven accountability framework.
“The success of this initiative will not be measured by speeches but by uninterrupted light in our hospitals, the hum of functioning equipment, and the renewed confidence of every Nigerian who walks into a public health facility,” he added.
Other speakers underscored the urgency of the intervention.
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said power and connectivity remain the missing links in Nigeria’s health transformation, urging partnerships to mobilise private capital through Public-Private Partnerships.
Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health, described unreliable electricity as the second biggest barrier to healthcare delivery after funding gaps, warning: “Every time a hospital is plunged into darkness, lives are put at risk. Powering health is not optional—it is essential for survival.”
Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, highlighted reforms under the Electricity Act 2023 and renewable energy projects such as solar mini-grids for healthcare centres, calling the event a turning point in linking energy with health.
Daju Kachollom, mni, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, said electricity in hospitals is “a matter of life, dignity, and hope,” stressing the need for reliable and sustainable energy solutions.
The two-day dialogue, themed “Powering Health Through Public-Private Synergy: Energising Nigeria’s Health Sector for the Future”, runs from 9–10 September 2025 with technical sessions and panel discussions designed to chart a clear roadmap.
