Nigeria’s healthcare system is facing a devastating new threat, not from disease, but from electricity tariffs. The hike in Band A tariffs is crippling hospitals across the country, leaving patients in the dark and, in too many cases, costing them their lives.
The Band A tariff has gone up by an alarming 240%, jumping from ₦66 to ₦225 per kilowatt-hour. Teaching hospitals providing critical care to millions of Nigerians have been forced into this tariff category despite their status as essential service providers.
The University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan has already endured over 100 days without power, relying on inadequate alternatives. When hospitals can’t afford light, patients pay with their lives.
On the 16th of September, 3 patients lost their lives at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. The Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) disconnected the hospital over an outstanding debt of N949.88 million at the end of August. This blackout affected patients on life-support machines, and due to the power outage, 3 of them died.
Hospitals are racking up impossible costs on electricity due to the revised tariff structure. The numbers tell a grim story:
- Kano Hospital: ₦108m monthly
- National Orthopaedic: ₦18m-₦45m monthly
- FMC Ebute Metta: ₦20m for ONLY 4 hours daily
- LUTH: Up to ₦252m monthly bills
This crisis is not just in Kano. UCH Ibadan also got disconnected over a ₦400m debt. Hospitals forced into “load-shedding”. Some wards are only lit at night with critical units running on generators. ICU equipment fails during outages, and life support systems are compromised daily.
When the lights go out, so does critical medical equipment. Surgeries and treatments are postponed or cancelled, with tragic consequences. Services like MRI scans and dialysis are suspended, forcing patients to seek expensive alternatives. Vaccines and other temperature-sensitive medications become unusable.
Teaching hospitals are forced to spend massive amounts on diesel generators to maintain operations. This increases their costs, which are then passed on to patients, making healthcare unaffordable for many. This cycle of financial strain and service disruption is a direct consequence of a broken power sector.
This is a public health crisis that requires urgent government intervention. The promised 50% electricity subsidy for hospitals needs to be implemented. Hospitals, as essential social services, should not be charged commercial rates. Solar and other renewable energy sources can provide reliable, affordable power, ultimately saving lives.
