40% Of Primary Health Centres Lack Electricity, Says Salako

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Salako, has raised concern over Nigeria’s weak energy supply in the health sector, warning that it is crippling service delivery and undermining ongoing reforms.

Speaking at the First National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector in Abuja, Salako disclosed that a national survey revealed that 40 per cent of functional Primary Health Centres (PHCs) operate without electricity.

He added that several Federal Tertiary Health Institutions spend between ₦20m and ₦180m monthly on electricity, with fuel consumption accounting for nearly half of their operating expenses.

“Our health system is not only underpowered but also inefficiently powered. Energy supply has become a major disruptor of health services. This must be addressed urgently if our healthcare reforms are to succeed,” Salako said.

He called for a whole-of-government strategy and innovative private sector investment to address the energy gap, stressing that public funding alone cannot electrify the health sector at scale.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also underscored the centrality of energy and internet connectivity in transforming Nigeria’s healthcare system.

“If we can fix power and internet connectivity, our health system will leapfrog. It will become iconic on the continent, and medical tourism will become a thing of the past,” Pate said.

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