Reliable access to energy is more than just a utility. It's a catalyst for greater impact in development initiatives. That's why the 2025 Challenge Fund is seeking innovative solutions that expand and enhance the benefits of energy access in remote and underserved communities. With up to AUD 100,000 in funding available, Palladium invites changemakers, innovators, and organisations to submit bold ideas aligned with this year's theme: "Expanding the Impact of Energy Access." Learn more and apply by visiting Palladium 2025 Challenge Fund. Submissions are due by 13 June 2025

From Darkness to Delivery: A Clinic's Journey to Reliable Power

When the lights came back on at Alekuwodo Primary Health Centre in Osun State, Nigeria, the change was more than symbolic. For the first time in years, the clinic could refrigerate vaccines reliably, illuminate delivery rooms after dusk, and offer care around the clock. What began as a community-driven campaign to restore electricity has evolved into a model for how local advocacy and targeted energy solutions can radically improve healthcare delivery in underserved areas.

Across much of rural sub-Saharan Africa, health clinics face a familiar dilemma: they are frontline defenders of public health, yet they operate without the most basic tool - reliable power. In these settings, cold-chain failure means vaccine spoilage. Lack of lighting deters night-time visits and complicates emergency births. And low staff morale often follows a constant struggle to provide care under suboptimal conditions.

A Local Crisis, A Scalable Solution

Alekuwodo PHC had long struggled with power outages that hampered everything from immunisation programmes to maternal health services. But through the Health Policy Plus (HP+) project, implemented by Palladium, the clinic found a new path forward. With support and training from HP+, regional health leadership and clinic staff were equipped to lead an advocacy campaign that successfully lobbied local authorities and the electricity distribution company. As a result, investment and effort was unlocked and the clinic was successfully reconnected to the grid.

With electricity restored, the clinic could power its vaccine refrigerator again, offer night-time services, and significantly boost staff morale.

Energy Access as a Public Health Imperative

The Alekuwodo case illustrates a broader truth: energy access isn't just about lighting homes or charging phones. In the context of healthcare, it can be the difference between life and death. With dependable electricity, clinics can run diagnostic equipment, store lifesaving medicines, and maintain a level of service that builds community trust.

Palladium's involvement underscores the role of integrated development strategies, where energy, health, and policy intersect. Rather than viewing electricity as an isolated infrastructure issue, the HP+ project treated it as a foundational enabler of systemic change. By aligning energy solutions with healthcare needs, the project created a ripple effect: better health outcomes, improved staff retention, and greater patient confidence in public services.

A Call for Bold Ideas

Alekuwodo is just one clinic. But the model it represents could inform interventions across hundreds of similar facilities worldwide. That’s where the 2025 Challenge Fund comes in. With its theme, "Rural Energy Revolution: Efficient Energy Storage for Remote Communities," Palladium is calling on innovators and organisations to propose ideas that apply energy solutions to development challenges.

Whether it's powering rural schools, digitising agriculture, or, like Alekuwodo, revitalising primary healthcare, the goal is the same: to unlock greater impact through reliable energy access.

Because when the power stays on, so much more becomes possible.

For the past 20 years, Palladium has committed 1.5% of our profit before tax to our global giving platform, Let’s Make it Possible. Through this platform and in partnership with the Kyeema Foundation, Palladium funds humanitarian relief efforts, supports community projects nominated by employees, and runs an annual Challenge Fund to tackle a major global problem.