Nigeria’s unreliable power grid has long been a major concern for health facilities across the country, causing delays in treatment and surgical operations, and ultimately worsening patient outcomes.
When the lights went out at Ketu Primary Health Centre in Lagos, nurses often had to pause mid-treatment, sometimes even in the middle of caesarean sections, waiting for the backup generator to restore power and resume life-saving care.
That wait, sometimes lasting hours, could now be in the past, as the centre has now become the latest beneficiary of a solar-powered energy system donated by JMG Limited, an electromechanical solutions company seeking to bridge the energy gap in Nigeria’s public health facilities through renewable power.
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The 10-kilowatt hybrid solar installation, equipped with a 20-kilowatt-hour lithium battery, now supplies uninterrupted power to maternity wards, laboratories, and emergency units, services that once depended on erratic grid supply and costly diesel.
Speaking with BusinessDay on the sidelines of the commissioning ceremony, on Wednesday, Rabih Jammal, group general manager of JMG, said, “Reliable power and energy access is essential to life, to healthcare, and to human progress. Through this project, and what we did last year in Bariga, we reaffirm our commitment to a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.”
The Ketu installation marks JMG’s second health-focused solar project within Lagos in two years, following its 2024 installation at CMS-Bariga Primary Health Centre.
Both projects reflect a subtle but growing shift in the company’s corporate social responsibility focus, from traditional diesel-powered solutions to renewable energy systems that align with Nigeria’s energy transition goals.
“Before we were having six or seven hours of power supply, now we have 24. Imagine attending to patients and power suddenly goes out, it’s depressing. But this, for us, is a game changer,” said Dayo Lajide, permanent secretary of Lagos State Health District II.
Her remarks capture a sentiment shared by many health workers across Nigeria who struggle to deliver basic care under unstable power conditions.
A recent report by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) reveals that at least 40 percent of hospitals and clinics in Nigeria lack reliable electricity, with about 40,017 healthcare facilities affected by chronic energy shortages.
This crisis has far-reaching consequences, from postponed surgeries and spoiled vaccines due to poor refrigeration, to compromised emergency care. Faced with these challenges, many health institutions rely on costly and polluting diesel generators as their only lifeline.
By the end of 2024, mounting electricity debts had further strained numerous teaching hospitals and center, threatening their ability to provide essential services.
For health officials in the Agboyi-Ketu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), the newly commissioned solar power project is expected to enhance healthcare delivery, improve treatment outcomes, and ease the financial burden of electricity and diesel costs on the centre.
Adetola Abubakar, executive chairman of Agboyi-Ketu LCDA, said the project will “keep the people alive” during emergencies by ensuring that “equipment runs when needed.”
She added that reliable energy would empower the healthcare workforce to perform optimally without disruptions.
Although JMG’s initiative is framed as corporate social responsibility, the company insists it is also a demonstration of what sustainable energy systems can achieve at community level.
The hybrid solar unit installed in Ketu combines solar panels with a lithium battery storage system, providing round-the-clock electricity even after sunset.
According to Raymond Nwose, JMG’s product manager for hybrid power systems, the system was designed after a technical load inspection of the health centre.
“The inverter technology is hybrid, with 10.35 kilowatt-peak of solar power and 20.48 kilowatt-hour lithium battery storage. This configuration ensures that critical appliances remain powered even during prolonged grid outages,” he explained.
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On his part, Hassan Sanuth, representing the commissioner for environment and water resources, said the initiative aligns with the state’s commitment to environmental sustainability and renewable energy adoption as a response to climate change.
He urged other corporate entities to replicate such interventions, noting that renewable power not only reduces carbon emissions but also enhances the quality and reliability of healthcare services.
“Let me use this medium to call on other corporate entities and individuals to support similar initiatives, fostering partnership with the state government to drive progress in health care delivery and other sectors in the state,” Sanuth said.
For JMG, the Ketu project is not an endpoint but part of an evolving journey from a conventional power provider to a sustainability-focused solutions company.
“We started with Bariga, and today we are here. I promise we will do more,” Jammal said, adding that JMG would continue to partner with communities and health authorities to scale similar projects across the state.
Otunba Meshioye, JMG’s executive director and president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, echoed this vision, describing the solar installations as a reflection of the company’s gradual shift “from fossil energy to green energy.”
