FG Moves To End Blackouts In Tertiary Hospitals:

By; ARCHIBONG ESUENE, Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the unreliable electricity challenges in health facilities as life-threatening that demands urgent action, calling for collective efforts to address in tackling the situation.

Represented by Senator George Akume CON, Secretary to the Government of the Federation at the maiden National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector in Abuja, he said fixing power crisis in Nigeria’s Hospitals is now a national priority.

He reaffirmed that reliable and affordable power is central to improving healthcare delivery and restoring public confidence in the system.

President Tinubu noted that the collaboration between the Federal Ministries of Health and Power, is a testament to his administration’s resolve to promote synergy amongst MDAs, and deliver sustainable solutions to electricity challenges in the health sector.

According to the president, the persistent power supply crisis in Tertiary hospitals as a crisis demands urgent and immediate action to save lives, “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”.

Addressing energy challenges in hospitals, the president said is integral part of his Renewed Hope Agenda which prioritises tackling energy poverty, decentralising supply, and expanding private sector participation.

“Through the Energy Transition Plan and ongoing power sector reforms, the government, according to him, aims to deploy off-grid solar and hybrid systems for health facilities, incentivise private investment, and leverage blended financing with development partners”.

Tinubu challenged health institutions to adopt sustainable, community-owned systems rather than temporary fixes and urged stakeholders to turn dialogue into measurable action, “this dialogue must not be a talk shop. It must yield actionable outcomes—alignment of policies, institutionalisation of energy audits in hospitals, mobilisation of social and green financing, and establishment of a results-driven accountability framework,”

The President commended Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako and, the Honourable Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, for convening the dialogue, assuring them of his full political support.

“The success of this initiative will not be measured by the speeches we deliver but by the uninterrupted light in our hospitals, the hum of functioning equipment, and the renewed confidence of every Nigerian who walks into a public health facility,” Tinubu stated.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate highlighted that power and connectivity remain the two missing links in Nigeria’s health transformation, stressing the need for partnerships to mobilise private capital through Public-Private Partnerships.

Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State, Health and Social welfare stated that unreliable electricity is the second biggest barrier to healthcare delivery after funding gaps, citing a BudgIT survey, urging stakeholders to act collectively, “every time a hospital is plunged into darkness, lives are put at risk. Powering health is not optional—it is essential for our survival.”

Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Minister of Power, described the event as a turning point in linking energy and health, highlighting reforms under the Electricity Act 2023, the National Integrated Energy Policy, and renewable transition projects, including solar mini-grids for healthcare centres.

Earlier in her welcome address, Daju Kachollom , Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare emphasized the critical importance of electricity in our hospitals, describing it as “a matter of life, dignity, and hope”.

The Permanent Secretary stated further that the National Dialogue with the theme “Powering Health Through Public-Private Synergy: Energising Nigeria’s Health Sector for the Future”, captures the essence of ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of geography or circumstances has access to affordable healthcare supported by reliable and sustainable power.