The Nigerian government has provided clarification regarding its proposed electricity subsidy for tertiary educational institutions, indicating that it may only extend to 37 federal universities and seven affiliated teaching hospitals.
Additionally, the government specified that private businesses operating within these selected institutions will not be eligible for the subsidy.
This initiative comes in response to concerns raised by universities and teaching hospitals about the unsustainable electricity costs imposed by distribution companies.
The 50 percent subsidy was initially announced by the Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, during a visit to the National Neo-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna State, and he also shared this information on his X account.
“In line with President @officialABAT, GCFR’s commitment to providing comprehensive healthcare to Nigerians, the Federal Government will implement a 50% subsidy on energy costs for all federal facilities. We anticipate that this subsidy will assist our facilities in delivering continuous healthcare and improving their service delivery,” Alausa stated.
However, he did not elaborate on the specifics of the subsidy. When approached for clarification, his spokesperson, Mojiyin Adebajo, stated, “No comment for now. A further announcement with clarification will be shared later.”
In response to inquiries from PREMIUM TIMES, Bolaji Tunji, spokesperson for the Ministry of Power, provided additional details. “What the honorable minister of power indicated was that there would be a subsidy, which could be as much as that or potentially lower,” Tunji explained. “If the honorable minister of health mentioned it, then further clarification is necessary.”
