The Federal Government has flagged off a 7-megawatt hybrid solar power project at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH).
The Independent Mirror reports that the development came just 48 hours after a power dispute between AKTH and the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony in Kano, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations and Member representing Bichi Federal Constituency, Abubakar Kabir Bichi, said over N12 billion has been committed to the project, which is expected to make the hospital independent of the national grid.
Mr. Bichi, who facilitated the project, explained that it is part of the Federal Government’s plan to solarize all tertiary institutions and teaching hospitals across the country, starting with AKTH.
The lawmaker expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving and supporting the project, noting that it reflects the President’s commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said:*We have already appropriated N300bn in the 2025 budget, and very soon, all our tertiary institutions and teaching hospitals, including those owned by some states, will have 24/7 solar power.
This year alone, I have attracted over N26bn worth of projects to this hospital, which has never happened in its history.
We are also working on another 5–6 megawatts at BUK, 4 megawatts at ADUSTECH Wudil, and another 3 megawatts at Murtala and Nasarawa hospitals.
We must commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to improving healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”*
In his remarks, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, said the project marks the beginning of translating the Renewed Hope Agenda vision into action.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, assured that the project would be completed before the end of December.
He emphasized the commission’s commitment to providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy for all Nigerian tertiary institutions and teaching hospitals, stressing that energy bills from electricity distribution companies are unsustainable.
“This project is the first of its kind in the country, and we expect about 10,000 facilities to benefit. It will reach all the 36 states and the FCT. By the time we finish, all the facilities will be 100 percent solarized,” he explained.
On his part, AKTH Chief Medical Director, Professor Abdulrahman Sheshe, said the project would help the hospital save over 30 percent of its expenses.
“We spend about N150 million every month on electricity bills and another N30 million on diesel for generators. So, this project could not have come at a better time, especially in the face of the recent power dispute we had,” he said.
Before the flag-off, Mr. Bichi inspected the ongoing construction of the five-storey Accident and Emergency Trauma Center being built by the Federal Government—a project he also facilitated.
