By Fatima Saka
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity supply across healthcare facilities in Nigeria, calling on investors and private sector players to key into emerging opportunities in the sector.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, made this known on Monday at the National Healthcare Electrification Investor Matchmaking Forum held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Describing healthcare electrification as a critical enabler of quality service delivery, Dr. Salako stressed that unreliable power supply continues to undermine healthcare outcomes nationwide, affecting surgeries, vaccine preservation, diagnostics, oxygen delivery systems and emergency response services.
The forum, convened under the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative (NPHI), brought together stakeholders across the health, energy, finance, climate and development sectors to explore investment opportunities aimed at tackling energy poverty in Nigeria’s health system.
According to the Minister, electricity is not merely a utility but a fundamental driver of healthcare delivery, noting that persistent energy challenges pose a significant barrier to ongoing reforms and the Federal Government’s healthcare transformation agenda.
He disclosed that the Nigeria Power for Health Initiative, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, serves as the national platform for driving sustainable electrification across healthcare facilities.
Dr. Salako explained that the Initiative introduces a shift from traditional government-funded models to a private sector-led Energy-as-a-Service framework, where Energy Service Providers are responsible for financing, deploying, operating and maintaining power infrastructure.
“This model allows healthcare institutions to focus on service delivery while ensuring sustainability, accountability and predictable returns for investors,” he said.
He added that although the current phase targets Federal Tertiary Health Institutions, the Initiative is designed to cover primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities across both public and private sectors.
To boost investor confidence, the Minister highlighted the establishment of a robust governance structure, including an Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee, a 24-member Inter-Agency Technical Committee, Facility Energy Management Teams and a dedicated Project Secretariat within the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Dr. Salako further revealed that the Initiative is adopting a blended financing approach combining government funding, development finance, climate financing and private capital to support large-scale deployment of sustainable energy solutions.
He commended the United Kingdom Partnership for Accelerating Climate Transition (UK PACT) and Landell Mills International for their technical support in developing the framework and implementation strategy.
Calling on commercial banks, development finance institutions, climate financiers and infrastructure investors to participate, the Minister emphasized that healthcare electrification presents vast opportunities at the intersection of health security, climate resilience and economic growth.
He noted that the initiative would also reduce dependence on costly diesel-powered generators across health facilities.
Describing the forum as the beginning of a practical investment marketplace, Dr. Salako urged stakeholders to move beyond dialogue to actionable partnerships.
“This is where ideas become projects, projects become investments and investments translate into reliable electricity for our healthcare facilities,” he said.
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He reassured investors of the Federal Government’s commitment to providing a conducive policy environment for sustainable investment.
“Together, we can build a future where every healthcare facility in Nigeria has access to reliable, affordable and sustainable energy. Together, we can strengthen our healthcare system and save lives,” the Minister added.
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