The Federal Government has approved new measures to accelerate reliable electricity supply across Nigeria’s health facilities, targeting 24-hour power for at least 30 per cent of hospitals and clinics nationwide by the end of 2027.
The decisions were reached at the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) on the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), jointly chaired by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, and the Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, in Abuja on Tuesday.
New Governance Structure Approved
According to a statement signed by Ado Bako, Assistant Director, Information & Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, the Committee approved the establishment of a dedicated Nigeria Power for Health Initiative Programme Unit within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to strengthen coordination and drive delivery.
The statement said the recommendation will be presented to the 2026 National Council on Health for consideration and adoption.
A financing framework to mobilise investments for healthcare electrification and a facility energy management framework were also approved to ensure participating health institutions have structured systems for managing energy assets.
Private Sector Engagement Accelerated
The Committee endorsed continued engagement with eight private sector proposals shortlisted from approximately 70 submissions received during the National Healthcare Electrification Investor Matchmaking Week in Lagos. The initiative will adopt public-private partnerships that prioritise Energy-as-a-Service delivery models.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Dr Salako said the Federal Government is deliberately strengthening the governance, partnerships and delivery systems required to expand healthcare electrification nationwide.
He noted that interventions by the Rural Electrification Agency have already provided reliable electricity to about 100 hospitals across the country, while development partners continue to complement government efforts, particularly at the primary healthcare level.
The Minister reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s target of ensuring that at least 30 per cent of health facilities nationwide have access to reliable 24-hour electricity by 2027, noting that the NPHI provides the national platform for mobilising investments, coordinating implementation and ensuring that reliable electricity becomes an integral part of safe, quality and uninterrupted healthcare delivery.
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Energy Management Teams have already been established in federal tertiary hospitals, while state governments have been encouraged to set up similar structures in their health facilities. The Minister for Power, Mr Joseph Tegbe, said attention would now shift from announcements to project delivery, adding that “enough of groundbreaking and media events. We want to start commissioning projects.”
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom S. mni, said sustained collaboration, institutional coordination and timely implementation remain critical to ensuring that reliable electricity becomes a standard feature of quality healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
The meeting was attended by representatives of relevant government agencies, development partners and other key stakeholders, underscoring the whole-of-government and multi-sector collaboration driving the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative.
