By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
President Bola Tinubu has restated his administration’s resolve to overhaul Nigeria’s health sector, with priority on resolving the persistent power supply crisis affecting hospitals nationwide.
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, Tinubu stressed that no Nigerian should lose their life because of electricity interruptions in medical facilities.
He described outages in surgical theatres, maternity wards, intensive care units, laboratories, and emergency rooms as unacceptable.
“These outages cannot continue, and under our administration, they should not. Lives are at stake. We must act now,” the President declared.
Improving healthcare energy supply is central to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to decentralize power systems and encourage private sector participation.
Tinubu assured investors of a supportive business environment, citing ongoing power sector reforms and the Energy Transition Plan, which prioritizes off-grid solar and hybrid systems for public institutions.
Government interventions already include a 50% electricity subsidy for hospitals and schools announced in August 2024, solar project allocations in the 2025 budget, and a ₦100 billion National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative approved in August 2025. Yet many hospitals, particularly in rural areas, still depend on diesel generators and even flashlights during critical procedures.
The government recently inaugurated a multi-agency committee to draft a comprehensive health-sector energy policy aimed at delivering sustainable and reliable power to medical facilities across the country.
