By: Adebayo Agbaje - Access to Energy, Business Development at Schneider Electric West Africa

In a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), access to energy is cited as fundamental to universal health coverage, enabling refrigeration of vaccines, safe childbirth, and operation of medical equipment, to name but a few.

However, in many parts across the world, energy access is still lacking. Recent  data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) states that 745 million people remain without electricity, concentrated mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia. Here, rural clinics are disproportionately affected, often relying on fuel generators or having no backup at all.

Bringing it closer to home, latest report from WHO reported approximately 15% of health-care facilities in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity while about 40 percent of functional Primary Health Cares in Nigeria have no access with majority of the rest having unreliable access. 

This means a large share of frontline health facilities operate without any power source, lack reliable electricity which directly undermines patient care. Power outages affect critical services such as vaccine refrigeration, surgical operations, maternal care and diagnostic equipment.

And whilst in countries like Nigeria where grid access may reach a significant proportion of the population, instability, outages and the absence of last-mile distribution continue to impact frontline healthcare facilities.

The Renewables Solution

As mentioned, primary healthcare centres in remote areas are frequently forced to rely on generators to meet basic operational needs. Fuel for these solutions are prohibitively costly, unreliable and unfortunately environmentally unsustainable. 

However, decentralised renewable energy and in particular solar offers a practical, sustainable and truly feasible alternative.  

Solar power aligns naturally with the realities of rural electrification: it is locally available, modular by design, and capable of operating independently of national grids. When combined with correctly sized battery storage and energy-efficient infrastructure, solar solutions can provide consistent, reliable power around the clock.

The success of solar projects however depends on detailed planning, encompassing rigorous needs assessments, data-informed system design, technology selection to long-term operational strategies.

For one, it is important to conduct need assessment starting with an audit to understand energy requirements for applications such as lighting, refrigeration, medical devices and consideration for future expansion. Equally important, is ensuring that solutions are implemented by qualified technical partners with the capability to manage installation, commissioning and long-term operation and maintenance using the right technology.

The Ecosystem

At Schneider Electric, ensuring access to safe, reliable, and sustainable energy is central to our mission and operations. Through our Access to Energy programme, we work closely with developers, NGOs, governments and local partners to ensure that energy solutions are not only technically sound, but socially meaningful. 

It begins with understanding the real needs of a community and healthcare provider, followed by bringing together the right stakeholders to deliver an end-to-end renewable energy solution.

Technical assessments are often conducted by development partners, while local distributors and certified installers play a vital role in supplying equipment, integrating complementary technologies and maintaining systems on the ground. 

Schneider Electric contributes by designing energy-efficient solutions, specifying compatible components and providing ongoing technical support, ensuring that installations continue to perform long after commissioning.

Lesson in Cooperation 

Nigeria’s Solar for Health Programme (NISHP illustrates how coordinated action can deliver measurable impact at scale. NISHP is EU‑funded and equips healthcare facilities across several Nigerian states with reliable solar power systems. 

Its goal is to strengthen primary healthcare delivery by ensuring 24/7 electricity for critical services like vaccine refrigeration, maternal care, and surgical operations.

For example, the initiative aims to replace diesel dependency with solar-powered systems, thus improving service continuity, reducing operating costs and enhances the resilience of healthcare delivery.

The NISHP is a model for integrating renewable energy into healthcare delivery. By ensuring reliable electricity, it directly reduces preventable deaths and strengthens Nigeria’s health system resilience.

As West Africa continues to confront the dual challenges of energy access and healthcare equity, partnerships between the public sector, development agencies and the private sector will be essential as illustrate by the NISHP.

Indeed, solar and decentralised energy solutions has the potential to become a fundamental part of resilient healthcare systems across the region.