As Tinubu warns against Nigerians dying from power failures in hospitals
Climate change experts have lamented an estimated yearly loss of over $29 billion by small businesses as a result of unreliable energy sources, warning Nigeria and other African countries against an imminent repeat of the mistakes of the fossil era.
They also expressed concern that the African continent was losing a lot due to the exploitation of its mineral resources by foreigners, expressing concern about the estimated 80 million Nigerians lacking access to reliable energy.
They made the observation in Abuja during the Close-Out Ceremony of BudgIT Foundation and PublishWhatYouPay (PWYP) Climate Fellowship Programme, organised to celebrate the accomplishments of the fellows.
PWYP Africa Head, Vincent Egoro, who disclosed that families spent more money on kerosene and diesel than what they spent on children’s school fees, regretted that small businesses were losing over $29 billion every year as a result of unreliable power.
Egoro further revealed that over 600 million people lacked access to clean energy across Sub-Saharan Africa, lamenting that other continents were exploring Africa’s mineral resources and reserving theirs for the future.
Earlier, BudgIT Foundation’s lead, Natural Resource and Climate Governance Programme, Enebi Opaluwa, explained that the programme was designed to empower community voices and advocates, and to bring to the fore issues around energy transition, renewable energy and climate change.
THE experts raised the alarm as President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s determination to overhaul Nigeria’s health sector, declaring that no citizen should lose their life because of power outages in medical facilities.
Speaking at the National Stakeholders Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector, yesterday at the Ladi Kwali Hall of Continental Hotel, Abuja, the President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, noted that persistent electricity failures in hospitals undermined care and cost lives.
“Today, we face a pressing issue that affects every Nigerian: the persistent power supply crisis in our tertiary hospitals and public health institutions. In surgical theatres, maternity wards, intensive care units, laboratories, and emergency rooms across the country, power outages too often compromise safety, interrupt care, and cost lives,” Tinubu said.
The President said the government was pursuing innovative energy solutions to power hospitals, clinics, and research institutions, adding that the reforms were integral to the Renewed Hope Agenda’s strategic direction.
Tinubu assured investors that Nigeria was open for business in health, energy, and infrastructure, promising an enabling environment and credible partnerships in renewable and hybrid energy systems.
