…As Kano SMEs decry poor power supply
From Rotimi Asher, Lagos
Federal Medical Centre ,FMC, Ebute Metta, has been grappling with crippling energy costs, spending as much as N20m monthly on electricity despite receiving just three hours of public power daily.
Outgoing Medical Director, Dr Adedamola Dada, revealed this during a media briefing held to reflect on the hospital’s achievements and ongoing challenges.
According to Dada, the hospital has had to rely heavily on diesel-powered generators, consuming up to 80,000 litres of diesel each month to ensure uninterrupted power.
This has been crucial to maintaining operations in a facility that now runs 95 per cent of its electricity independently.
“We are the only federal public hospital that receives a two-to-three-hour supply of public power, but we provide 24 hours of power because we are automated and can’t function without power”, Dada explained.
He added that transitioning to an automated system raised concerns due to Nigeria’s erratic electricity supply, but the hospital implemented a power solution that allowed it to generate 22 hours of electricity daily over the past seven years.
Although the cost has strained the hospital’s finances, Dada said it was a necessary investment to ensure quality healthcare delivery.
Despite the challenges, FMC Ebute Metta has received widespread recognition.
In 2022, the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency named it the most compliant and standard hospital in Lagos State.
More recently, the Bureau of Public Service Reform, under the Presidency, recognised the centre as a leader in ICT integration in the public health sector.
Meanwhile, Craftsmen and small business owners in Kano State have expressed concern over the persistent power outages in the state, saying the situation is crippling their operations.
Some of the affected residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria ,NAN, in interviews on Sunday said the poor electricity supply was affecting productivity and increasing operational costs.
Malam Idi Ali, a welder at Kofar Ruwa area, said he spends an average of N5,000 daily on fuel to power his generator due to the erratic electricity supply.
“We hardly get power for two hours in a day. I have lost customers because I cannot meet deadlines. It is becoming unbearable”, he said.
Another business owner, Amina Rabiu, who runs a frozen food business in Sabon Gari area, said she has incurred losses due to spoiled goods caused by power failure.
Stella Simon, a fashion designer in Fagge area, said the power situation had become so bad that she had been unable to meet her customers’ demands for weeks.
“We have not had electricity for almost two days now. I have to rely on a generator.
“Getting fuel to power it is expensive due to the increase in the pump price of fuel. I depend on electricity to preserve my stock.
“Now I use generators throughout the day and still lose money. It is frustrating”, she said.
Similarly, Abba Kabir, a tailor in Dakata area, said the situation had forced him to reduce his workforce.
“I cannot continue paying workers when there is no power to run my machines.
“We need urgent intervention from government or the electricity distribution company”, he said.
Efforts to get a response from the Head of Corporate Communications at the Kano Electricity Development Company ,KEDCO, Mr Sani Bala, were unsuccessful.
