In Bauchi and beyond, solar power is keeping clinics open, life-saving equipment running, and patients safe where the national grid has failed.
In Nigeria, power cuts are as devastating as they’re commonplace. In April, for instance, a man from Minna reportedly lost his wife following an outage during surgery. In rural clinics, electric-powered machines stall mid-surgery due to a grid collapse.
As of 2022, about 40% of primary health centres lacked dependable power.
A small health clinic in the Kirfi local government area of Bauchi State is betting on renewable power to flip the narrative.
The Badara primary health care centre suffered some destruction caused by floods in 2023, which disrupted critical services in the facility. The centre now operates around the clock thanks to solar power and a backup generator that ensures uninterrupted power.
Solar energy can be a lifeline to rural health centres. Access to reliable power in health centres ensures that life-saving equipment like incubators, delivery lights, and vaccine refrigerators run without disruptions, reducing mortality among mothers and children.
Bauchi’s example indicates that renewable energy can address systemic weaknesses; rather than waiting for the fragile national grid, off-grid solar offers security even in the case of natural disasters such as floods.
However, many solar projects across Nigeria face challenges with long-term maintenance, funding gaps, and technical expertise.
Even so, solarising clinics reduces the steep financial costs of diesel generators, ensuring free resources that can be redirected into medicines and staffing.
Nigeria has more than 30,000 primary health centres; barely a third, though, are fully functional. Scaling renewable energy solutions across even a fraction of these facilities could transform access, allowing millions of Nigerians to receive safe and reliable care within their own communities rather than travelling long distances.
Solar energy across Nigeria
Similar models in other states show the efficacy of this approach. As part of the Nigeria Solar for Health Project, Enugu State set up a ₦3.33 billion initiative to electrify 25 primary healthcare centres (PHCs).
In the same vein, the Kano State Government has refurbished 28 primary healthcare centres with solar power to improve vaccine storage, maternal health, and general PHC services.
The effects of Nigeria’s intermittent electricity on medical care are grossly damaging, which makes the clinic in Bauchi stand out.
By investing in renewable energy, it demonstrates resilience and importance to human lives. As in the Minna case, an unbroken supply of light can be the difference between life and death.
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