Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to overhauling Nigeria’s health sector, with a strong emphasis on tackling the persistent power supply crisis crippling the nation’s hospitals.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Senator George Akume, at the National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on
Power in the Health Sector in Abuja on Tuesday, the President declared that no
Nigerian should lose their life because of electricity interruptions in medical
facilities.
“Today, we face a pressing issue that affects every
Nigerian: the persistent power supply crisis in our tertiary hospitals and
public health institutions. 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. This crisis
demands our immediate attention and concerted action,” he said in a statement
issued by the SGF’s media aide, Yomi Odunuga.
Tinubu described the situation as unacceptable and pledged
that his government would prioritise sustainable energy solutions for health
facilities nationwide.
“These outages cannot continue, and under our
administration, they should not. Lives are at stake. We must act now,” he
stressed.
The President explained that improving energy supply in
healthcare is a key part of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to
decentralise energy systems and encourage private sector participation.
“My administration is fully committed to transforming the
health sector by targeting innovative solutions to its hydra-headed challenges,
including sub-optimal, inefficient, and uneconomical electricity supply that
drives up costs, disrupts care, compromises quality, and increases patient
dissatisfaction.
“This initiative to advance energy solutions in our
hospitals is not isolated; it is integral to addressing energy poverty in
Nigeria by deploying tailor-made solutions and fostering private sector
involvement,” Tinubu added.
He reassured investors of a business-friendly environment in
the health, energy, and infrastructure sectors, pledging collaboration with
credible partners, particularly in renewable and hybrid energy systems.
Citing national programmes, Tinubu pointed to the Energy
Transition Plan and ongoing power sector reforms as building blocks for
cleaner, decentralised, and more resilient energy systems. He noted that the
plan prioritises off-grid solar and hybrid systems for public institutions,
with incentives, regulatory support, and innovative financing to attract
investments.
Nigeria’s health sector has long grappled with underfunding,
poor infrastructure, and systemic inefficiencies. Among the most dangerous
challenges is unreliable power, which has repeatedly endangered patients and
strained medical staff.
In August 2024, the Federal Government announced a 50 per
cent electricity subsidy for hospitals and schools to ease rising energy costs.
But months later, the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria
reported that many hospitals were still paying full tariffs, raising doubts
about the policy’s implementation.
In February 2025, Coordinating Minister of Health Muhammad
Pate revealed that the national budget had made provisions for solar projects
in hospitals, including the University College Hospital, Ibadan, which had
suffered a notorious 100-day blackout that disrupted surgeries, diagnostics,
and training.
Further efforts followed in March 2025 when the government
convened a national dialogue and inaugurated a multi-agency committee to craft
a comprehensive health-sector energy policy. And in August 2025, Tinubu
approved ₦100bn for the
National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative, targeting hospitals and other
public institutions.
Yet, despite these initiatives, power remains unreliable in
many hospitals, especially outside major cities, where staff often resort to
flashlights and diesel generators during critical procedures.
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