ICRC seeks private-public model for reliable power in health sector

The Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Jobson Ewalefoh, has reiterated that leveraging Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models is key to ensuring reliable power in Nigeria’s health sector.

Ewalefoh said this on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering a presentation on Leveraging PPP Models for Reliable Power Infrastructure in Nigeria’s Health Facilities at the first National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector.

The dialogue, with the theme ‘Powering Health through Public-Private Synergy: Energising Nigeria’s Health Sector for the Future’, brought together key stakeholders in health, power and investment to seek sustainable solutions.

According to Ewalefoh, PPPs can transform service delivery, safeguard patient outcomes, and optimise costs in the health sector.

“By aligning incentives around availability, quality, and efficiency, PPPs can provide sustainable power infrastructure for hospitals, reduce the national health system’s reliance on diesel, and create a replicable framework for resilient health services across the country,” he said.

He noted that of Nigeria’s 2.3 trillion dollars investment deficit projected between 2020 and 2043, the power sector alone accounted for 759 billion dollars.

Private sector investment, he said, would therefore be critical in bridging the gap.

Ewalefoh further explained that PPP-driven power solutions in health facilities would guarantee high availability of power for critical health loads, improve quality to protect sensitive medical equipment, reduce diesel reliance, cut operating costs, and lower emissions.

He called for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to ensure that power becomes a central consideration in all health infrastructure projects.

“For every project in the health sector, the first concern should be how to power it. Power must be factored into the model from the beginning.

“The biggest challenge is not just building infrastructure but sustaining it, and the first thing that fails is power,” he added.

At a panel session on Strengthening PPPs for Nigeria’s Health Facilities, Mr Joseph Tegbe, Director-General, Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, said investors were willing to commit funds but needed assurances.

“Investors are looking for stability, certainty, and policy clarity. They want guarantees that when they bring money, they can make returns because they are not here for charity.

“The challenge is that policies don’t last, the exchange rate is unstable, and there is uncertainty,” Tegbe said.

He urged the government to provide investment guarantees, including political risk insurance, exchange guarantees, and clear policy frameworks to assure investors of continuity across successive administrations.

On coping mechanisms, the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCT, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the territory’s hospitals relied on the national grid, supported by diesel generators and solar solutions provided during the COVID-19 era.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Babagana Adam, she said that involving host communities in power generation and distribution for hospitals could boost sustainability and revenue generation.

The National President, Association of Nigeria Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), Dr Kayode Adesola, described the power situation in private hospitals as “unpleasant,” noting that many facilities must combine multiple energy sources just to survive.

“Patients don’t care about what hospitals go through. They only want services to work.
“Once a patient experiences power failure, he may reject admission next time, even when it is medically necessary,” Adesola said.

For Dr Lola Alli, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Alpine Care Group, collaboration among stakeholders was essential to avoid working in silos.

She suggested categorising hospitals by energy consumption levels to develop appropriate costing models.

“We need to leverage each other’s strengths, whether in financing, technical capacity, or information and data.

“Catalytic funds, carbon credits, and impact-driven financing models can also help drive sustainable power for healthcare,” she added.

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