The Federal Government has approved an institutional reform and financing framework aimed at accelerating the electrification of health facilities across Nigeria, with officials saying the move will help provide reliable 24-hour electricity to hospitals affected by unstable power supply.
The decisions were reached at the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) 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 is targeting reliable electricity access 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. It was attended by senior government officials, development partners and members of the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC), which presented key recommendations for consideration.
Speaking at the meeting, Tegbe said the initiative must move beyond policy announcements to actual project delivery.
Describing the NPHI as one of the flagship programmes of the Tinubu administration, he said the focus should now be on completing and commissioning projects that Nigerians can directly benefit from, rather than concentrating on further groundbreaking ceremonies and public messaging.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that teaching hospitals, state hospitals and primary healthcare centres are fully powered, noting that the Rural Electrification Agency has already provided electricity to five Federal Teaching Hospitals and several other healthcare facilities nationwide.
Tegbe linked reliable electricity directly to improved patient outcomes, arguing that stable power would reduce hospitals’ dependence on emergency generators. He also pledged that the Ministry would continue to prioritise funding requirements for the initiative while ensuring efficient use of resources.
Salako, who disclosed the outcomes of the meeting, said the Steering Committee had approved a financing framework to attract investment into healthcare electrification, as well as a facility energy management framework to ensure participating hospitals develop sustainable systems for managing their 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 added that Energy Management Teams had already been established at federal tertiary hospitals, while state governments were being encouraged to create similar structures.
According to him, the initiative would now be institutionalised through dedicated budgetary provisions and the establishment of a full-time Project Coordination Unit responsible for overseeing implementation.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Mahmud Mamman, highlighted the critical role of uninterrupted electricity in healthcare delivery, noting that dependable power is essential for operating medical equipment, preserving vaccines, supporting laboratories and improving emergency response systems.
He described the NPHI as a landmark partnership involving government, development partners and the private sector to address one of the healthcare sector’s most significant infrastructure challenges.
The Nigeria Power for Health Initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to making reliable electricity a key component of healthcare delivery.
As the programme progresses from policy frameworks to project execution, it reinforces the importance of healthcare reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, where effective healthcare delivery depends not only on medical personnel and equipment but also on the power infrastructure required to keep facilities operational.
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