FG launches N12bn solar power scheme at AKTH to end grid dependency

‎Just three days after a power disruption fraught with tension between Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) and Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), the federal government unveiled a 7-megawatt solar power venture at the hospital in Kano to ensure steady electricity supply.
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The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Abubakar Bichi, representing Bichi Federal Constituency and the project’s lead facilitator, disclosed that over N12 billion has been allocated toward this energy project. The scheme is designed to make AKTH self-sufficient by disconnecting it from the unreliable national grid.

‎This year alone, we have secured investments exceeding N26 billion for AKTH, an unprecedented achievement in its history. Plans are underway for additional installations, including a 5-6 megawatt system at Bayero University Kano (BUK), 4 megawatts at ADUSTECH Wudil, and smaller setups at Murtala and Nasarawa hospitals – Bichi

Minister Uche Nnaji described the solar rollout as the first step in translating the Renewed Hope vision into practical outcomes. Meanwhile, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, which manages the project, pledges completion by year-end, expressing the commission’s focus on clean, dependable, and cost-effective energy across all Nigerian higher education and medical institutions. He added that the nationwide program aims to fully power facilities in all 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory through solar energy.
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‎Professor Abdulrahman Sheshe, AKTH’s Chief Medical Director, stressed the financial relief the hospital expects, noting current monthly electricity expenses of about N150 million plus an additional N30 million spent on diesel for generators. He welcomed the shift to solar power especially in light of recent power supply disputes, reported by Dawn Herald three days ago, which contributed to service interruptions.
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Before the inauguration event, Honorable Bichi also reviewed progress on a five-story Accident, Emergency, and Trauma Center under construction by the federal government, a development he personally championed.
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