The Federal Government has earmarked N300 billion in the 2025 budget to solarize tertiary medical institutions and federal universities across Nigeria, a move aimed at ensuring uninterrupted power supply and improving service delivery.
Abubakar Bichi, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, disclosed this while flagging off the solarization project at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano.
“I had a thorough discussion with Mr. President that we really have to do something about our hospitals, as well as our universities. They are lagging behind in terms of power supply. They have brilliant doctors and nurses, but they need constant power to operate properly. He gave me the go-ahead to domicile the money into the 2025 budget,” Bichi said.
According to the lawmaker, AKTH will receive six to seven megawatts of solar power, while Bayero University, Kano, will get five to six megawatts. State institutions such as Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, and Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital will also benefit from the programme.
Bichi also addressed criticisms that the Tinubu administration favours the South over the North in project allocation:
“We have so many critical projects for these hospitals. I provided N26 billion for AKTH alone in 2025 for accident and emergency, heart surgery equipment, stroke center, radiology complex, transplant equipment, and family medicine complex. This is the first time in the history of these hospitals that they have received this level of funding. The President loves Nigeria, the North, the South—he supports everyone,” he said.
Dr. Uche Nnaji, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, highlighted the financial benefits of the solarization programme, noting that it will significantly reduce the hospital’s unsustainable electricity expenditure of N150 million monthly and the high costs of diesel.
“The solarisation programme under the renewed hope agenda will drastically cut operational costs while ensuring uninterrupted power supply for hospitals and universities,” Dr. Nnaji said.
The N300 billion allocation underscores the government’s commitment to modernizing critical infrastructure and enhancing healthcare and education services across the country.
