By Admin
The Federal Government has launched a new investment-driven framework aimed at accelerating the electrification of healthcare facilities nationwide through sustainable private sector partnerships under the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI).
The initiative was unveiled in Lagos during the National Healthcare Electrification Investors Matchmaking Forum, where the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described it as a major milestone in implementing resolutions reached at the National Stakeholders' Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector.
Salako said the initiative represents a critical intervention in tackling energy poverty across Nigeria's health system, stressing that reliable electricity remains indispensable to effective healthcare delivery.
According to him, power supply is central to the operation of theatres, vaccine cold chain systems, incubators, diagnostic equipment, oxygen delivery systems, digital health technologies and emergency response services.
"Electricity is not merely a utility in a healthcare facility; it powers life-saving services and technologies that healthcare delivery depends upon. When electricity fails, healthcare delivery stagnates," he said.
The minister explained that the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative marks a departure from the traditional model of government and donor-funded infrastructure projects by introducing a sustainable Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) framework.
Under the arrangement, specialised energy service providers will finance, install, operate, maintain and guarantee reliable power solutions for healthcare institutions, enabling hospitals to focus on patient care and service delivery.
He said the framework is anchored on three pillars: blended financing, institutional readiness and national scalability.
Through a mix of government support, development finance, climate finance and private sector investment, the initiative is expected to unlock large-scale deployment of sustainable energy infrastructure across the health sector.
While the current phase targets federal tertiary health institutions, Salako said the long-term objective is to extend healthcare electrification to primary, secondary and tertiary facilities across both public and private sectors.
To ensure effective implementation, the Federal Government has established a governance structure that includes an Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee, a 24-member Inter-Agency Technical Committee, Facility Energy Management Teams in participating institutions and a dedicated Project Secretariat within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
The minister also highlighted efforts to strengthen the sector's investment readiness, including specialised capacity-building programmes for Directors of Finance and Accounts in federal tertiary hospitals. The training covers energy economics, project finance, sustainable business models and investor engagement.
Salako commended the United Kingdom Partnership for Accelerating Climate Transitions (UK PACT) and Landell Mills International for supporting the development of the framework and advancing sustainable healthcare electrification in Nigeria.
He urged investors, development finance institutions, commercial banks, climate financiers and energy developers to seize the opportunities presented by the initiative and deepen collaboration with government.
"This is the beginning of a marketplace where ideas become projects, projects become investments, and investments become reliable electricity for healthcare facilities across Nigeria," he said.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reaffirmed its commitment to working with public and private sector stakeholders to provide sustainable power for healthcare facilities and improve health outcomes nationwide.
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