The Federal Government has launched a 7-megawatt solar power project at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, just 48 hours after the hospital resolved a heated power dispute with the Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) that reportedly claimed the lives of three patients.
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The project, valued at over N12 billion, aims to make AKTH fully independent of the national grid and guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Kano, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations and member representing Bichi Federal Constituency, Abubakar Bichi, said the initiative reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes solarizing tertiary institutions and teaching hospitals nationwide. He noted that projects worth N26 billion have already been attracted to AKTH in 2025 alone.
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, described the solar facility as a bold step in translating the administration’s vision into reality. The Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, also pledged that the project will be completed by December and reiterated the Federal Government’s broader plan to solarize institutions across the country with a N300 billion allocation in the 2025 budget.
When operational, the solar plant is projected to reduce AKTH’s operating costs by as much as 30 percent. Presently, the hospital spends nearly N150 million every month on electricity bills and an additional N30 million on diesel to run generators.
The initiative follows a crisis in which AKTH was disconnected by KEDCO over an outstanding electricity bill of about N949.8 million, leaving the hospital in darkness. The blackout, which forced patients on life support off essential care, sparked outrage after three people reportedly died.
The intervention of the Kano State Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, eventually restored calm. During a meeting at Bompai Police Headquarters, AKTH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. A. Abba Sheshe, and KEDCO’s Managing Director, Dr. Abubakar Shuaibu Jimeta, agreed to work together to prevent further disruptions, with KEDCO pledging to prioritize healthcare facilities going forward.
Officials described the new solar project as a timely and lasting solution to a crisis that underscored the dangers of unreliable electricity supply in critical healthcare institutions.
