Laraba MUREY
President Bola Tinubu has thrown his weight behind a major national dialogue aimed at fixing the persistent power challenges crippling Nigeria’s health sector.
The two-day event, which will take place on September 9 and 10 at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, is being organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in partnership with the Ministry of Power.
Tagged “Powering Health Through Public-Private Synergy: Energising Nigeria’s Health Sector for the Future,” the dialogue will bring together government officials, healthcare leaders, energy experts, development partners and private investors to chart solutions for reliable and climate-smart electricity in hospitals.
Tinubu is expected to attend as Special Guest of Honour and witness the signing of a historic Power and Health Compact a move the government says will guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply to tertiary health facilities across the country, in line with the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Health Minister, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, stressed the urgency of the dialogue, noting that without steady electricity, lives remain at risk. His words: “Power is health. Without reliable electricity, vaccines spoil, surgeries stall, and lives are lost.”
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, also warned that “a hospital without power is a hospital without hope,” while the Power Minister, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, described the collaboration as a signal to investors that the health sector is “open, viable, and ready for transformation.”
The event will also feature a technology and innovation exhibition, where energy solution providers will showcase products and services designed to improve power supply in healthcare facilities nationwide.
