When the Lights Come On, So Do Lives: Solar Power and the Silent Crisis in Maternal Care

In many parts of Nigeria, the most vulnerable moment in a woman’s life can be one shrouded in darkness.

Picture this: a mother in labour arrives at a rural clinic at night. The facility has no electricity. The midwife, experienced but under-resourced, fumbles with a torchlight clenched between her teeth. The baby is coming. There’s no suction. No warming device. No fan. No light.

This is not fiction. It is a daily reality for countless women across Africa. And it’s a crisis that goes largely unseen—because it happens in the shadows.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

 

The Hidden Cost of Darkness

Maternal and neonatal mortality remains a persistent public health challenge in Nigeria. While many efforts target skilled care and access to medication, one critical piece is often overlooked: reliable electricity.

Electricity powers essential tools:

• Sterile equipment
• Oxygen concentrators
• Incubators and radiant warmers
• Refrigeration for life-saving vaccines
• Communication systems for referrals

Without it, basic procedures become dangerous. Complications escalate. Lives are lost—not because care wasn’t available, but because care couldn’t function in the dark.

Light, Safety, and Dignity

At Darway Coast, we believe every mother deserves to give birth in safety and dignity—and that starts with powering healthcare sustainably.

Through our solar mini-grid projects, we’re lighting up more than just homes and businesses—we’re energising hope. Clinics that once struggled now have consistent, clean power. Midwives can focus. Babies can breathe. Mothers can rest knowing they are seen, supported, and safe.

At the recent commissioning of the 1MW solar grid in Ijoko, our CEO gave voice to this mission. He didn’t just speak as an executive, but as a father, a son, and a concerned Nigerian.

“When a clinic has no light, the entire community is in the dark—figuratively and literally. Our work is to change that. We’re not just installing systems; we’re saving futures.”

 

Why Solar? Why Now?

Many remote or peri-urban clinics are off the grid—or poorly served by it. Solar energy offers a clean, decentralized, and reliable solution that doesn’t depend on fuel deliveries or unstable national supply.

Unlike diesel generators, solar systems:

• Operate quietly, reducing stress for mothers
• Require minimal maintenance
• Offer predictable costs
• Are environmentally sustainable

In short, solar power is not just a green solution—it’s a lifeline.

 

Community-Centered, Future-Focused

At Darway, we approach every community with the same principle: Listen first, build later.

In our origination process, we sit with local leaders, health workers, and residents to understand their realities. We don’t just power clinics—we strengthen healthcare systems from the ground up, ensuring that solutions are:

• Scalable
• Affordable
• Locally managed

Aligned with broader SDG goals (especially SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being and SDG 7 – Affordable and Clean Energy)

 

A Brighter Tomorrow Starts Today

We envision a future where no woman fears giving birth at night. Where newborns don’t gasp for life in the dark. Where rural clinics become beacons of safety, not uncertainty.

This is the future we’re working toward—one solar installation at a time.

Because when the lights come on, so do lives.

And that’s the kind of power we believe in.