The Federal Government has approved a new financing framework and institutional reforms aimed at expanding reliable electricity supply to health facilities nationwide, with a target of ensuring at least 30 per cent of hospitals and other healthcare centres enjoy uninterrupted power by the end of 2027.
The decision was reached on Tuesday during the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee of the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative, a presidential programme jointly implemented by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Ministry of Power.
Speaking after the meeting, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said the committee adopted key governance structures, endorsed a facility energy management framework and approved eight private sector proposals for further engagement after reviewing about 70 submissions received during the National Healthcare Electrification Investor Matchmaking Week in Lagos.
He described the approvals as another milestone in the government’s effort to guarantee stable electricity in public hospitals through public-private partnerships.
According to Salako, the committee reviewed the report of its technical team and expressed satisfaction with the progress made since the initiative was launched by President Bola Tinubu following the National Power for Health Dialogue held in December 2025.
He explained that the newly approved financing framework is expected to attract investments into healthcare electrification, while the energy management framework will help participating hospitals effectively operate and maintain their power infrastructure.
The minister disclosed that Energy Management Teams have already been established in federal tertiary hospitals, while state governments have been encouraged to create similar structures in their own healthcare facilities.
He added that the programme would now be strengthened through dedicated budgetary allocations and the creation of a full-time Project Coordination Unit to oversee implementation nationwide.
Salako reiterated that the administration’s goal is to provide dependable electricity to at least 30 per cent of Nigeria’s healthcare facilities before the end of 2027 using energy-as-a-service models driven by partnerships with the private sector.
He noted that different energy solutions would be adopted based on the needs of individual hospitals, explaining that while some facilities would operate on solar mini-grids, others could be powered by gas or other suitable technologies.
Giving an update on achievements recorded over the past eight months, Salako said governance structures had been put in place while electrification projects were progressing simultaneously in primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions across the country.
He revealed that the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) had already deployed containerised solar power systems to about 100 hospitals nationwide.
On concerns over persistent power outages in tertiary hospitals, the minister said the healthcare electrification initiative should be viewed as part of the Federal Government’s broader reforms aimed at improving electricity supply across the country.
He expressed confidence that ongoing reforms in the power sector would gradually reduce blackouts and improve electricity access for both healthcare institutions and Nigerians.
Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the initiative remains one of the flagship programmes of the Tinubu administration, stressing that the focus would now shift from policy announcements to delivering completed projects.
He said the government was committed to ensuring hospitals at all levels receive reliable electricity, adding that stable power would significantly improve patient care and eliminate the routine dependence on generators during medical emergencies.
According to Tegbe, the government will continue to prioritise investments in the initiative while ensuring prudent use of public resources.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Mahmuda Mamman, described uninterrupted electricity as essential for operating medical equipment, preserving vaccines, supporting laboratory services and strengthening emergency healthcare delivery.
He said the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative represents a strategic partnership between the Federal Government, development partners and the private sector to tackle longstanding electricity challenges affecting healthcare delivery.
Nigeria’s public hospitals have long struggled with unreliable electricity, forcing many facilities to depend heavily on diesel generators to power operating theatres, intensive care units, laboratories, oxygen plants, blood banks and vaccine storage systems.
The rising cost of diesel and electricity has also placed additional financial pressure on many tertiary hospitals, prompting the Federal Government to launch the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative in December 2025.
Under the programme, tailored energy solutions—including solar mini-grids, gas-powered systems and other renewable technologies—will be deployed to health facilities across the country. The initiative will also establish a national database of healthcare electrification projects to improve coordination, minimise duplication and encourage greater private sector investment in the sector.
