Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau has inaugurated the Nigeria Solar for Health Project (NISHP), to provide solar power to 25 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across the 17 local government areas (LGAs) of the state.
Mutfwang officially inaugurated the Steering Committee for the project’s implementation on Monday in Jos, emphasizing the importance of the initiative, which is supported by the European Union (EU).
He explained that the project is part of his commitment to ensuring functional primary healthcare centres and providing quality, affordable healthcare services in rural areas.
“When we took office, less than five percent of the over 1,000 primary healthcare centres in the state were functional. This is why we recently awarded contracts for the renovation of 82 of them.
“We trust that by the end of this year, we will make more primary healthcare centres in the state functional.
“The NISHP project will undoubtedly transform the energy situation in our healthcare sector. Without energy, we can’t install machines for proper diagnosis or store vaccines and other medicines in our PHCs.
“Considering the importance of this initiative, we invested in it, and we are committed to ensuring that our people reap the benefits it brings,” he emphasized.
European Union’s commitment to clean and renewable energy
The governor also expressed gratitude to the EU and NISHP for choosing Plateau for the project’s implementation.
Earlier, Mrs. Inga Stephanowicz, the Head of Section, Green and Digital Economy, EU-Nigeria, said that the project aimed at ensuring access to clean and renewable energy.
Stephanowicz, who commended the state government for releasing the counterpart funds, said that the project aimed at boosting service delivery through functional primary healthcare centres .
NISHP’s impact on local communities
She also said that part of the deliverables of the project was the planned construction of a hydro-solar power plant at Assop Falls, located in the Riyom local government area of the state.
- The initiative is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of providing basic health, community services, and electrification needed for people to live, become healthy, and raise families.
- She highlighted that electricity is essential to boosting access to quality service delivery, emphasizing that no healthcare facility will function effectively without a steady power supply.
“Our research shows that only 40% of functional primary healthcare centres in Nigeria get constant electricity, and this is not good.
“So, the NISHP project has come to correct this trend; we are glad that the Plateau government has keyed into this initiative by paying the 30% counterpart funds,” she said.
- Mr. Tinyan Ogiehor, the Senior Stakeholders Engagement Manager of NISHP, also spoke about the project, explaining that it would install a solar power mini-grid across 25 primary healthcare centres in the state.
- He highlighted that the initiative would enhance the healthcare functionality of these centers while also supporting 75 small businesses located within the PHCs.
Ogiehor further mentioned that, for this phase, at least one primary healthcare centre in each local government area of the state would benefit from the NISHP project.
