By Atoyebi Nike
The World Bank has reiterated that reliable electricity is critical to Nigeria’s healthcare delivery, stressing that access to clean and stable power can save lives and improve health outcomes.
Speaking at the opening of the first National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector in Abuja on Tuesday, the Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Mr. Mathew Verghis represented by Vinay Vurukutu said ongoing World Bank-funded energy initiatives were already transforming healthcare operations.
He listed three major projects: the Nigeria Electrification Programme, which has powered 100 health centres and two teaching hospitals nationwide; the $650m IMPACT Project, supporting over 2,000 primary healthcare centres with renewable energy; and the $750m DARES Project, designed to expand access to solar rooftop systems, currently piloted in Lagos health facilities.
Verghis noted that these efforts had improved working conditions, expanded patient access, and reduced maternal and infant mortality.
“The World Bank remains committed to supporting Nigeria in turning today’s power challenges into opportunities for every citizen,” he said.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power, Mahmuda Mamman, warned that unreliable electricity increases healthcare costs and delays life-saving procedures. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to uninterrupted, clean, and affordable power for all health institutions.
On her part, Daju Kachollom, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, described power in health as “a matter of life, dignity, and hope,” adding that the dialogue would produce a landmark multi-stakeholder compact to ensure no health facility in Nigeria is left without electricity.
The two-day dialogue is focusing on innovative financing, climate-smart energy solutions, and ways to prioritise underserved communities in the country’s energy-health agenda.
