USAID, Nigeria, Energy Stakeholders launches programme to Electrify More Health Centres
By: Mnena Iyorkegh, Abuja
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Program, USAID Integrated Health Program, and the Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency has launched a call-to-action programme to provide more primary healthcare centres (PHCs) with clean, reliable, and sustainable power in Nigeria.
The call-to-action programme outlines activities that power and healthcare sector stakeholders can implement to accelerate PHC electrification, and challenges stakeholders to achieve clean electrification solutions for 1,000 PHCs by 2023 and a total of 10,000 PHCs by 2030.
Speaking on behalf of USAID, the Director of the Office of Health Population Nutrition, Paul McDermott said, “We view this as an opportunity for partners and stakeholders in both the energy and health sectors to make commitments, and work collectively to ensure that fully functional primary healthcare centers can be accessed by all Nigerians.”
The USAID-funded Sustainable Energy for All 2022 Powering Healthcare Roadmap estimates that around 40 percent of Nigeria’s primary healthcare centres lack access to electricity.
“By providing access to a stable power supply, PHCs can provide essential services to patients, such as those receiving maternal and new-born care at time of delivery, cold storage for vaccinations, running medical equipment, and delivering services after dark.”
To this end, the Head of the Nigeria Electrification Project Program Management Unit at the Rural Electrification Agency Anita Otubu noted that, “We are looking to bridge the energy access gaps in primary healthcare centres across the country and we call on everyone to take immediate action on the call-to-action.”
USAID’s Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Program, in collaboration with the Rural Electrification Agency, is supporting programs in 36 States in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, which aim to sustainably electrify over 700 PHCs by the end of 2023.
USAID will also continue to support power and healthcare sector stakeholders to expand electricity access to PHCs across Nigeria.
