NIGERIA— Bill Gates, tech giant Microsoft Founder and Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has pledged to support Nigeria and other African countries with a US$ 7 billion aid package.
The announcement was made when the American technopreneur and global health champion, held a consultative meeting at the presidential villa, Abuja, under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
Also present was Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Chairman of the Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote as well as a host of state governors, and Nigerian government officials and development partners.
Gates made the announcement while committing that his foundation would work closely with communities and leaders to support innovation that can help accelerate progress and improve lives across Africa.
Speaking at the occasion, Shettima assured that government would address the concerns that surround the financing of the primary healthcare system in the country.
The Vice President also disclosed that “a proposal is in development to provide timely domestic financing for the procurement of vaccines, which couldn’t have come sooner, to boost our industrial capacity to produce vaccines.”
Shettima commended the states for achieving high-category immunization coverage, which is between 60% and 80% of the target demographic, and the number of states has expanded from 12 to 21 states in five years.
Vice President Shettima stressed that the Federal government was committed to eradicating variant poliovirus by the end of the year, ensuring that every Nigerian child is covered in the routine immunization campaigns.
The Vice President then expressed the appreciation of the Federal Government to partners such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s Foundation and of Bill Gates Foundation, whose empathy shone through that uncertain period in our history.
In his remarks, Alhaji Aliko Dangote stated that Bill Gates and himself have been partnering with both the Federal and State Governments for several years, supporting the efforts in eradicating polio and improving routine immunization, nutrition, and primary healthcare in the country.
“We genuinely believe that the National Economic Council and the decisions that you will make over the next four years will determine whether Nigeria has sound economic growth, keep its citizens happy, and achieve sustainable development goals,” Dangote added.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq lauded the philanthropic interventions of the Dangote and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations in critical areas, including healthcare, education, agriculture, and human capital development.
The Governors expressed the readiness to further collaborate with the Dangote and Gates Foundation in the coming years.
A Commitment to Healthcare in Nigeria
Gates had earlier met Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to learn from partners helping to address polio, anemia, and other health threats.
President Bola Tinubu reiterated his commitment to prioritizing healthcare development in Nigeria, noting that for any country to develop, the health of its people, particularly the workforce, was critical.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is reported to the world’s most prominent private investors in the global healthcare system, and has for instance contributed US$1.553 billion to the Global Vaccine Alliance, GAVI over the five years 2016 to 2020 making it number two ranked contributor.
Bill Gates is in Nigeria to discuss issues around health and development in the country.
The visit is also part of the Foundation’s commitment “to work closely with communities and leaders to support innovation that can help accelerate progress and improve lives across Africa.
In his speech, Gates said that the foundation would continue to build on the work it had done so far “to reduce the big equity gaps” in Nigeria.
The foundation has been supporting innovators in Nigeria since as far back as 2009, and going by Gates’ speech, it wants to double down on its progress.
Gates urged the government to increase funding for vital solutions, emphasizing the West African nation needs to do more than US$10 per person for health care each year.
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