The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that the Federal Ministry of Power, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is committed to working with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to ensure that no hospital, primary healthcare centre, and diagnostic laboratory is left in the dark.
Speaking the First National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector, Adelabu said the government will harness renewable energy, distributed generation, battery energy storage systems, and grid expansion to provide the reliable power backbone that the health sector desperately needs.
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Adelabu who stated that the relevance of the National Stakeholders’ Dialogue cannot be overstated, said it provides the country with a unique opportunity to focus on the intersection of two critical sectors – power and health.
“By bringing our collective expertise to the table, we can chart a path that strengthens healthcare delivery by ensuring sustainable, reliable, and affordable electricity supply to facilities across Nigeria, from the primary health centres in rural communities to the teaching hospitals in urban centres so they are fully equipped to serve the needs of our people.”
He said currently, the Federal Ministry of Power, through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), is deploying solar hybrid mini-grids, standalone solar home systems, and other innovative solutions to electrify hundreds of healthcare centres across the country.
“For emphasis, REA deployed 50kW solar mini-grid solutions to about 100 healthcare facilities across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic ensuring that critical health centres had uninterrupted power supply to preserve lives, support medical staff, and sustain essential services at a time of unprecedented national emergency.”
“In addition, through the Energizing Education Programme of the REA, we are deploying solar hybrid mini-grids to teaching hospitals across the country. Notably, we have commissioned a 12MW system at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and a 7MW system at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.”
He added that these deployments are not only providing reliable, clean power but also helping to properly segregate electricity supply for clinical activities from that of residential and commercial activities within the hospital environment.
He went on to state that with accurate metering in place, non-medical businesses will not hide under the hospital’s electricity allocation and make energy bills unaffordable.
“The hybrid model further allows for an optimal mix of renewable energy and grid supply, thereby reducing costs while guaranteeing sustainable, uninterrupted electricity for critical medical operations. By blending renewable energy with grid supply, hospitals are shielded from the high costs and unreliability that come with depending solely on grid electricity and diesel generators, enabling them to achieve a more stable, predictable, and affordable energy expenditure.”
Daily Trust
