LAGOS, Nigeria – Nigeria is targeting uninterrupted electricity in at least 30 per cent of its health facilities by 2027 under a new reform that seeks to tackle one of the healthcare sector’s most persistent challenges: unreliable hospital power supply.
The Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), unveiled on Monday in Lagos, marks a shift towards private-sector-led investment in healthcare electrification amid mounting concerns that energy shortages are undermining patient care nationwide.
Health Minister Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako said chronic electricity failures affect critical services including operating theatres, vaccine cold chains, diagnostics and emergency response systems.
“Energy poverty is holding back our reforms and slowing down our healthcare transformation agenda,” Salako said.
Data from health sector assessments indicate that unreliable hospital power supply forces many facilities to depend on costly diesel generators, significantly increasing operating expenses and disrupting care.
“Electricity is not merely a utility in a healthcare facility. When electricity fails, healthcare delivery stagnates,” Salako added.
Under the initiative, hospitals will no longer directly manage energy infrastructure. Instead, Energy Service Providers will finance, install and maintain power systems through an Energy-as-a-Service model.
“Healthcare facilities are not expected to become energy companies,” Salako said. “Energy Service Providers will finance, deploy, operate and maintain systems, while hospitals focus on healthcare delivery.”
The minister said the model aims to deliver predictable returns for investors while easing fiscal pressure on the government.
Power Minister Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe described electricity as a cornerstone of modern healthcare.
“We are not merely discussing electricity; we are discussing saving lives and removing the impediment to quality healthcare delivery,” he said.
Experts say improved hospital power supply could reduce mortality, preserve vaccines and strengthen emergency care, particularly in underserved areas.
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