Tinubu Declares Reliable Power in Hospitals a National Priority
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that ending blackouts in Nigeria's tertiary hospitals is now a national priority, describing unreliable electricity in health facilities as a life-threatening challenge that requires urgent and coordinated action.
Speaking through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, at the maiden National Stakeholders' Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector held in Abuja on Tuesday, Tinubu stressed that stable power supply is central to improving healthcare delivery and restoring public confidence in the nation's health system.
"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. These outages cannot continue, and under our administration, they should not. Lives are at stake. We must act now," the President declared.
He commended the collaboration between the Federal Ministries of Health and Power, describing it as a model of synergy among government agencies aimed at delivering sustainable energy solutions to the health sector.
Tinubu linked the initiative to his Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises tackling energy poverty, decentralising supply, and encouraging private sector investment. He said the government, through its Energy Transition Plan and power sector reforms, would deploy off-grid solar and hybrid systems for hospitals, incentivise private financing, and partner with development agencies.
"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," Tinubu said.
The President congratulated Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako and 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," he added.
Other stakeholders at the dialogue underscored the urgency of addressing electricity shortages in hospitals.
Prof. Pate identified power and connectivity as the "two missing links" in Nigeria's health transformation, urging stronger public-private partnerships to mobilise capital.
Dr. Salako warned that unreliable electricity is the second biggest barrier to healthcare delivery after funding gaps. "Every time a hospital is plunged into darkness, lives are put at risk. Powering health is not optional-it is essential for our survival," he said, urging the adoption of smart energy solutions.
On his part, Adelabu described the event as a turning point in linking energy and healthcare, citing ongoing reforms under the Electricity Act 2023, the National Integrated Energy Policy, and renewable energy projects, including solar mini-grids for healthcare centres.
Daju Kachollom, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, described electricity as "a matter of life, dignity, and hope," stressing the theme of the dialogue, "Powering Health Through Public-Private Synergy: Energising Nigeria's Health Sector for the Future."
The two-day dialogue, which began on September 9, featured technical sessions and panel discussions, and is expected to conclude today with a roadmap for sustainable energy solutions in Nigeria's health sector.