The federal government has unveiled a plan to provide uninterrupted electricity to about 30 per cent of the country’s health institutions by the end of 2027, with a broader vision to make Nigeria Africa’s destination of choice for quality healthcare.
This was revealed at the National Healthcare Electrification Investor Matchmaking Forum, held in Lagos under the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), which aims to drive reliable, Sustainable, and Clean Energy Solutions for Nigeria’s Health Institutions through Technical Collaboration, Innovative Financing, and Strategic Public-Private Partnerships.
Highlighting the initiative’s urgency, officials noted that Nigeria loses an estimated $2 billion annually to medical tourism. Supporting this, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) data shows that medical-related travel spending rose to $684.72 million in 2025 alone, a 6.5 per cent year-on-year increase.
Nigeria loses an estimated $2 billion annually to medical tourism. CBN data also shows medical-related travel spending rose to $684.72 million in 2025 alone, up 6.5% year-on-year. Reliable power is the precondition for reversing that trend.
Minister of Power Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe stressed that reliable electricity is the precondition for reversing this costly trend, saying, “You cannot run a modern hospital without electricity. Every clean kilowatt we deliver to a health facility is a step toward restoring Nigeria’s confidence in our healthcare system.
That confidence, once restored, is an asset that cannot be priced.”
Building on this, Tegbe emphasised that under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, the initiative aims to deliver a healthier population, a stronger economy, and a more prosperous Nigeria.
He explained further that a framework is already being discussed with investors and developers to ensure affordability through blended power delivery rates. “The critical thing is that we start initiatives and sustain them. The framework is to ensure sustainability,” he added.
According to him, the Ministries of Power and Health and Social Welfare have been collaborating for the past 1.5 years to turn the vision into reality.
The goal, he said, “Is to leave behind a legacy under President Tinubu’s Power for Health Initiative. By 2027, it is projected that 30 per cent of health facilities will benefit, with plans to expand coverage under the Renewed Hope Agenda Programme.
Expanding on the scope, Tegbe noted that while fixing power challenges nationwide, the government is prioritising teaching hospitals and universities, with plans to extend to markets and to about 35,000 registered healthcare facilities.
He explained that the initial focus will be on tertiary and secondary hospitals serving larger populations, while models for private-sector participation are being developed.
His counterpart, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Izaq Adekunle Salako, reinforced the message of collaboration, saying, “This is a demonstration that when President Bola Tinubu talks about partnership, it’s not just talk. Today, we see the Federal Ministries of Health and Power working together as one team, alongside the private sector. This is a practical demonstration of cooperation.”
Harping on the event’s purpose, Dr Salako explained that electricity remains a limiting factor in healthcare delivery.
“We have had incidents where surgeries were disrupted by power outages, sometimes with lives lost as a result. The President is determined to address this issue, starting with tertiary hospitals that operate complex machines and require a stable energy supply,” he noted.
