The Federal Government has approved fresh measures to accelerate the provision of reliable electricity to health facilities across the country, reaffirming its target of ensuring that at least 30 per cent of Nigeria’s health facilities have uninterrupted power by the end of 2027.
The decision was reached at the third meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) on the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), jointly chaired by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, and the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe.
The committee approved the establishment of a dedicated Nigeria Power for Health Initiative Programme Unit within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to strengthen coordination and speed up implementation. The proposal will be presented to the 2026 National Council on Health for consideration.
The committee also endorsed continued engagement with eight identified energy solution providers and prioritised cluster institutions as energy hubs to fast-track the deployment of reliable and sustainable electricity across federal tertiary health institutions.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Salako said the government was deliberately strengthening the systems needed to deliver sustainable electricity to hospitals across the country.
“We are deliberately strengthening the governance, partnerships and delivery systems required to expand healthcare electrification nationwide,” he said.
The minister disclosed that interventions by the Rural Electrification Agency have already provided reliable electricity to about 100 hospitals across Nigeria, while development partners continue to support electrification projects, particularly at the primary healthcare level.
He said the government remained committed to making electricity a critical component of healthcare delivery.
“The Nigeria Power for Health Initiative provides the national platform for mobilising investments, coordinating implementation and ensuring that reliable electricity becomes an integral part of safe, quality and uninterrupted healthcare delivery,” Salako said.
Reaffirming President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the initiative, the minister said the administration remains focused on achieving its target.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s target is to ensure that at least 30 per cent of health facilities nationwide have access to reliable 24-hour electricity by the end of 2027,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, described the initiative as a key pillar of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
“The Initiative exemplifies the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening governance and building resilient systems that support better health outcomes,” she said.
Kachollom stressed that stronger collaboration among government institutions and stakeholders would be essential to the programme’s success.
“Sustained collaboration, institutional coordination and timely implementation remain critical to ensuring that reliable electricity becomes a standard feature of quality healthcare delivery across Nigeria,” she added.
Established by President Tinubu in 2025, the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative is a joint programme of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Federal Ministry of Power aimed at improving healthcare delivery through sustainable energy access.
The meeting was attended by members of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee, representatives of government agencies, development partners and other stakeholders driving the implementation of the initiative.