FG Installs Solar Hybrid Grid, MRI Machine to Boost Power, Diagnostics at Kano Orthopaedic Hospital

The Federal Government has commissioned a 1.5-megawatt solar hybrid mini-grid at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Dala, Kano, to improve reliable and affordable electricity supply for critical medical services.

The project was announced by the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar-Aliyu, during the groundbreaking ceremony, which also featured the presentation of a 1.5-Tesla MRI machine donated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Abubakar-Aliyu said the intervention forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative, targeting improved electricity supply for institutions in health, education, agriculture, and security sectors.

He explained that the Dala Orthopaedic Hospital was selected due to its long history of specialised care since 1959 and its rising energy needs, noting that the hybrid grid would also support the hospital’s newly acquired MRI machine.

The REA boss emphasised that the initiative aligns with similar deployments across federal institutions, including universities where solar systems have been expanded to strengthen uninterrupted power.

“The Honourable Minister of Power has directed us to enhance the reliability, affordability and sustainability of electricity in key public institutions. Today, we are issuing the groundbreaking for the deployment of 1.5 megawatts of hybrid mini-grid to this historic medical institution,” he said.

“This is a nexus where we provide electricity reliability, while the NNPC is providing MRI equipment to strengthen diagnostic services,” he added.

The Chief Medical Director, Dr. Nurudeen Isa, described the intervention as timely and lifesaving, stating that hospitals struggle with high energy costs and rely heavily on diesel generators, stressing that the new system would significantly reduce expenses and make critical services more affordable for patients.