Tag: Bill Gates

Polio virus is still circulating in Nigeria – Bill Gates cautions

Bill Gates, Chair of Gates Foundation, has advised the Federal Government to continue its longstanding commitment to end polio transmission in the country.

Gates said this during a media roundtable with selected journalists on Wednesday in Lagos.

He emphasised that with the tightening of global funding, it’s more important than ever that Nigeria keeps up the momentum of polio eradication.

“Now is not the time to stop because unfortunately, the virus is still circulating, and we need stronger action—especially in Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, and Kebbi states.

“What is important now is that the government urgently continues its longstanding commitment alongside partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and the heroic efforts of frontline health workers to end polio transmission.

“The emergence of variant polio cases remains a serious challenge and can fuel doubts about vaccine safety.

“That’s why we are supporting Nigerian-led and GPEI partners like UNICEF and WHO to engage affected communities directly, building trust through transparent communication, listening to concerns, and working with local leaders to dispel misinformation.

“That’s what we need to do more and the key to stopping outbreaks lies in rapid, high-quality response campaigns and closing immunity gaps,” Gates said.

He highlighted the importance of robust routine immunisation coverage to achieve and sustain a polio-free world, increasing population immunity and reducing the immediate and long-term risk of polio.

According to him, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a key partner in this effort, financing the provision of the inactivated polio vaccine in lower-income countries.

“The world is in the final sprint to end this horrific disease and Nigeria is key to that success.

“With strong investments and partnerships, I am confident we will bring about a world where no child, faces the threat of polio,” he said.

Gates acknowledged Nigerian government’s efforts and progress, disclosing that polio detections in Nigeria reduced by about 40 per cent in Q1 2025 compared to the same time last year.

“We have also seen some useful improvements in the April immunisation campaign. These are positive outcomes from all the hard work the government and partners have been doing,” he said.

The philanthropist noted that Africa’s success in eradicating wild poliovirus is a major public health achievement made possible by strong government leadership, sustained surveillance, and effective partnerships.

“But we must understand that ongoing disease surveillance will play a vital role in detecting and rapidly responding to new outbreaks,” he said.

Polio (poliomyelitis) is an infectious disease caused by a virus which invades the nervous system and often causes irreversible paralysis.

It can strike at any age but mainly affects children under five.

There is no cure for polio as it can only be prevented through vaccination.

Nigeria eradicated wild polio in 2020, however, a resurgence saw Nigeria report 122 confirmed cases of circulating poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) between January 2024 and March 10, 2025.

These cases primarily occurred in the northern states.

Transmission of cVPV2 has persisted, highlighting the ongoing challenge of eradicating polio in the country and the government considering new measures to tackle the outbreak.

Gates is on a visit to Nigeria and has met with President Bola Tinubu and engaged with federal and state leaders to discuss Nigeria’s primary health care reforms.

He is also participating in the Goalkeepers Nigeria event focused on Africa’s innovation future and meeting with local scientists and partners shaping Nigeria’s national AI strategy and scaling up health solutions.

June 5, 2025
Tinubu confers CFR national honour on Bill Gates

President Bola Tinubu has conferred the national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and Chairman of the Bill Gates Foundation.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Tinubu conferred the CFR national honour on Gates on Tuesday in Lagos, stressing that the Microsoft co-founder inspires leaders worldwide by consistently lifting the poor and underprivileged.

The President noted that the renowned philanthropist’s interventions in maternal health, agriculture and infectious disease research while thanking Gates for providing global leadership that prioritises ameliorating the lives and safety of the poor and underprivileged.

“Today, I would like to share my happiness and respect and acknowledge one of the greatest human beings in the world.

“All I need to say is thank you, Bill Gates, for your indivisible commitment to humanity. It is highly remarkable. It is an inspiration to leaders across the world, including the one standing before you.

“I thank you very much. It is a great thing to honour you as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.

Reacting, Bill Gates said he was honoured by the conferment of the CFR by the President.

“I am very happy to receive the honour for myself and the incredible team at the Foundation. From the beginning, the Foundation’s goal was to support improving Nigeria’s health sector.

“Nigeria had some ambitious goals for improving health, and three people here today are great champions of that cause.

“Of course, the President is making health a priority. Pate, we’ve worked together to handle great challenges, including the incredible progress on polio.

“Then, Dangote, I got to know, and we have done great work together. So, in the 25 years in Nigeria, we have achieved a lot.

“As was mentioned, the child death rate has gone down, and that’s because new vaccines were received to boost our efforts. Much work was done to increase the coverage and get vaccines to every child,” he added.

Gates said the effort to eradicate polio was one of the Foundation’s toughest. A lot was learnt, and partnerships were built with traditional institutions.

He said the Foundation had already rolled out HPB vaccines to reduce the 7,000 annual deaths of women from cervical cancer.

He said a single dose of the vaccine taken by girls ages 9-14 could give them lifetime protection.

“Nigeria achieved a better result than any other country in getting out the vaccine to young girls,” he noted.

Gates told President Tinubu that he was dedicated to cutting malnutrition and spreading vaccines that could end malaria in Nigeria.

“Some of our goals will seem ambitious; for example, in the next twenty years, we hope to eradicate malaria,” he added.

Gates assured the Nigerian leader of his continued commitment to improving health in Nigeria, aiming to invest his entire wealth in this cause in the next 20 years.

In his remarks, the Minister of Health and Social Development, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said Mr Gates’s recognition was well deserved, considering his long-term involvement in Nigeria’s national development.

“Bill Gates’ friend, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has been working with him to transform lives across the country. From that time until now, the Gates Foundation and through other channels have invested more than $2 billion of its capital in various arenas that directly affect our people, whether in health care, agriculture, or the digital economy.

“Importantly, when he came into Northern Nigeria, there were challenges with immunisation, people refusing because of ignorance, and with Mr Gates and Alhaji Aliko, they mobilised the entire traditional ruler’s committee,” he stated.

Pate said the strong support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation eradicated polio.

Aliko Dangote, the President and Chairman of Dangote Group, the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Hon. Zephaniah Jisalo, executives of the Gates Foundation, and Dr. Ayuba Burki Gufwan,executive secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, attended the ceremony.

June 4, 2025
Divorce from ex-wife, Melinda, remains my greatest regret – Bill Gates

Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, has opened up about his “biggest regret in life” citing his divorce from Melinda Gates, his ex-wife of 27 years.

The billionaire businessman in a recent interview with The Times of London, described the divorce as “tough”, revealing that it made both him and Melinda “miserable for at least two years”.

Despite the emotional toll of the separation, Gates stated that he feels “more cheerful now.”

Reflecting on their time together, the tech guru said Melinda saw him through a lot, from his early success to becoming a global icon.

He also acknowledged that they were both driven individuals, but Melinda took on most of the.parenting responsibilities.

“When Melinda and I met, I was fairly successful but not ridiculously successful — that came during the time that we were together. So, she saw me through a lot. When we got divorced it was tough and then she made the decision to leave the foundation,” he said.

“I was disappointed that she took the option to go off. I encouraged Melinda to be a little calmer than my mother was, but we were both quite driven. I spent more time with the kids than my dad did, but the ratio was still 10:1, with Melinda doing most things for the kids.

“We had a great time. I’m more cheerful now but divorce was the mistake I regret the most. There are others, but none that matter. The divorce thing was miserable for me and Melinda for at least two years.

“Melinda and I still spend time together as a family. We have three children and two grandchildren, so there are always family events. The kids are doing well and have strong values.”

January 26, 2025
Bill Gates boosts VP Harris presidential campaign, donates $50m

Popular American billionaire, Bill Gates, has donated $50million to the Kamala Harris presidential campaign.

The donation breaks the jinx of decades of sitting on the sidelines of politics.

This donation is said to be a private one to a non-profit organisation that is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential run, according to three people briefed on the matter.

Until the donation came into public light, it was meant to stay under wraps.

Although Mr. Gates, who is one of the founders of Microsoft, has not publicly endorsed Ms. Harris, his donation would represent a significant change in the strategy that had previously kept him away from gifts like this.

It was reported that Gates, in private calls this year to friends and others, expressed concerns about what a second Donald Trump presidency would look like.

He however was quoted as saying he would not mind working with either candidate.

While Bill Gates does not have a deep relationship with Ms. Harris, he has celebrated the Biden-Harris administration’s work on climate change.

Mr. Gates’s philanthropic organisation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is significantly concerned about cuts to family planning and global health programmes if Mr. Trump is elected.

Gates has said he made his donation to Future Forward, the main outside fund-raising group supporting Ms. Harris, according to the people briefed on the matter.

Mr. Gates has talked about his pro-Harris donation with his peers, including Mike Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and a major supporter of Future Forward who has considered a similarly sized gift, two of the people briefed said.

Mr. Gates’ donation went specifically to Future Forward’s nonprofit arm, Future Forward USA Action, which as a 501(c)(4) “dark money” organisation does not disclose its donors, according to the people briefed.

Speaking on his preferences in terms of support, Gates had said, “I support candidates who demonstrate a clear commitment to improving health care, reducing poverty and fighting climate change in the U.S. and around the world,” he told The New York Times.

“I have a long history of working with leaders across the political spectrum, but this election is different, with unprecedented significance for Americans and the most vulnerable people around the world,” he stated.

October 23, 2024
Good Morning, Mr. Gates – By Chidi Amuta

Perhaps unknown to most Nigerians, the Nigerian government hosted its political opposition in the hallowed chambers of the Federal Executive Council last Wednesday. It was a unique opportunity to hear an opposition perspective on the current state of the nation right in the executive chambers of Aso Villla. This was in a week when Mr. Tinubu was out touring in China after sneakily authorizing a cruel increase of petrol pump prices over and above the wildest imagination. The opposition flag and message were carried by an unusual mascot: American tech billionaire and philanthropist, Mr. Bill Gates.

Escorted by Nigeria’s leading money mascot, Aliko Dangote, Bill Gates got an opportunity to literally gate crash into the Executive Council Chambers at Aso Villa where he had the rare opportunity of lecturing the entire Federal Government including Vice President Kassim Shettima and ministers. A lecture on basic development challenges ended up as an unscheduled talk on the inconvenient truths of the present times in Nigeria.

What was auspicious is not so much the presence of the two money merchants. It was rather the message that Mr. Gates had to deliver at the Aso Rock Council chambers that should interest us. Forget the fact that America’s own money men do not get to casually walk into council meetings at the White House to lecture anybody about anything. It is not usual for Gates, Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos or Warren Buffet to hike a ride and gate crash into a White House Council meeting to talk about anything. If indeed they have to make a Congressional appearance on any subject, they have to be invited by the relevant committee leadership and answer specific questions. But this is Nigeria. All anyone needs to qualify to lecture an entire Nigerian government is a trove of cash and influence either as a refinery owner or a rich technology billionaire turned philanthropist.

In any event, both Dangote and Bill Gates are familiar sights in Nigeria’s power precincts. Dangote is constantly on hand in all meetings that have to do with running a successful economy especially on matters that concern cement and petrol. Bill Gates similarly shows up ever so often in Abuja and Lagos to talk about Guinea worms or his over $2.8 billion spend on charity, especially primary healthcare, in and around Nigeria.

What is important is the message that Mr. Gates had for his unlikely audience in Abuja. I am sure that most of those there gathered must have been uneasy in their padded seats as the man delved deeper into the substance of his subject. Mr. Gates told them unkind and uncomfortable truths. His contentions were in two major areas of Nigeria’s contemporary economic and social situation: government spending priorities and tax performance.

Mr. Gates told our government people what they probably already know but dare not openly admit in the corridors of power. All is not well in the economy. Nigeria’s economy has stagnated in the last 15 years. The revenue to GDP ratio has worsened over the same period. For the first time, our debt exceeded 50% of GDP. Our government is now the third most indebted in the world with debts still climbing.

That is not all. Nigeria now has the second highest rate of food insecurity in the world with hunger ravaging more than half of the populace. Access to primary healthcare remains a mirage while out of school population has just approached 20 million. Given his preoccupation with primary healthcare in his Africa wide philanthropy projects under the Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation, he is shocked about the average annual spend of N3,000 per citizen in Nigeria. It is of course his contention that what Nigeria needs now is attention to the basic components of development like primary healthcare, basic education and poverty alleviation.

Implicit in his elaborate presentation is an excoriating critique of the current trend and direction of priority of the Tinubu government. Implicit in Bill Gates’ well timed lecture is an outright condemnation of Mr. Tinubu’s emphasis on wasteful and luxurious government spending. Mr. Gates says it without naming it.

Nigeria ought to be sending more kids to school away from the streets, buying more medicines and medicaments for health centres and hospitals in remote places, assisting basic enterprises so that common people can find resources to meet their basic needs. Nigeria ought to be sending more hands to the farms to produce the food now urgently needed to feed millions of the hungry.

Our priority ought not to be presidential yatchs, fleets of luxury SUVs, new presidential jets, mansions and expensive junkets to literally all corners of the globe to attend inconsequential gatherings that have nothing to do with the welfare of the common Nigerian. In the latter respect, the intrinsic value of Mr. Bill Gates’s lecture to our Council of Ministers is actually in the eloquent silences of the message. He told us what we ought to prioritize and left our ministers to conclude on the wrong priorities of the government they are serving.

Within the present Nigerian political space, there exists a dialect that belongs alongside Mr. Gates’ preoccupations. In fact, Mr. Gates’s rhetoric corresponds to the outlines of the contention of the mainstream political opposition. Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratoc Party are more less saying the same things as Mr. Gates but not in aid of a philanthropic end. Indeed, the basic developmental logic of Mr. Peter Obi since after the 2023 presidential election corresponds to the kernel of Mr. Bill Gates major argument. Of course, Mr. Gates was not out on a political campaign. He was merely marketing his philanthropy. But his philanthropy is essentially a humanistic development agenda. It takes its departure from a human development perspective. Its broad contention is that Africa’s future depends on its ability to harness its resources to actualize its present human resources in the things that matter and will uplift the majority of Africans.

It has been the consistent position of Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last presidential election, that what Nigeria needs is a basic developmental strategy, not a grandiose pretensious display. Mr. Obi has consistently harped on the need to prioritize basic development issues of primary healthcare, poverty alleviation and education. In accordance, he has taken the Tinubu government to task on its wasteful priorities of luxury, white elephant projects and highways that lead nowhere in particular.

As a way of addressing the paucity of revenue in relation to GDP, Mr. Gates used his speaking opportunity to critique Nigeria’s tax performance. In his view, Nigeria is collecting less tax than it should. Literally, Nigerians are not being taxed enough. Or, better still, the Nigerian tax administration system is not sufficiently effective to collect all that is due to the government. The latter is more true than the former. Predictably, ordinary Nigerians who have been at the receiving end of all manner of multiple and incidental taxes have jumped on Mr. Gates on the social media to question his temerity to talk about taxation in Nigeria.

Perhaps Mr. Bill Gates does not understand the massive implicit taxation regime under which Nigerians have lived for decades. In Nigeria, the same people who pay monthly income tax, annual business tax and several other incidental taxes are also subject to several implicit taxes. People are taxed by government for the provision of water, elelctricity, security, etc. Yet, nearly every Nigerian provides his own water borehole, private electricity generator, private security guard, etc. These are all services that the government taxes and levies people but does not provide any services.

On the surface, ordinary Nigerians contend that Mr. Gates cannot talk about personal income tax in Nigeria where the government taxes people without discharging the reciprocal obligation of providing social and other services. In Nigeria, we have governments at both federal, state and local government levels that levy a multitude of taxes, charges, levies and tariffs without delivering the corresponding services and infrastructure.

Nigerians are unhappy that Mr. Gates would come from the United States, a country where governments account for every dollar of tax payers’ money by way of services to the people. Yet, it would seem that Mr. Gates is more concerned about corporate and institutional taxes than personal income taxes which has little loopholes for tax avoidance since these taxes are direct charges on monthly incomes at source.

Mr. Gates of course admits the ineffectiveness of government services in Nigeria but still insists that the Nigerian government needs to find the resources to fill the gap between its current obligations and what it needs to maintain the semblance of a functioning nation state.

So far, there have been no signs from government circles that the oppositional essence of Mr. Bill Gates’s visit and address to the Federal Executive Council struck any chords within government circles. Instead, what has lingered is the war of nerves between Mr. Dangote and the NNPCL over what killer pump prices to charge Nigerians for gasoline. Implicit in that price war is yet another unstated petroleum tax whose incidence falls almost uniformly on every Nigerian who has cause to stop by the gas station in order to keep moving.

Mr. Bill Gates has delivered his message and returned to America. It was a message about a more viable alternative development strategy. I doubt that the political import has yet dawned on the Nigerian ruling class who were the immediate audience. The Nigerian opposition will keep up the Bill Gates message but they are not likely to receive the claps and ovation that Bill Gates got in Aso Rock last Wednesday. What a pity!

September 8, 2024
The world is changing, but Nigeria’s economy is stagnant – Bill Gates

Bill Gates, Co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has said since his last visit to Nigeria six (6) years ago, the world has changed tremendously in those six years, but that Nigeria’s economy has stagnated.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Gates said this during a meeting with members of the National Economic Council (NEC), attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, State Governors and Ministers, on Wednesday in Abuja.

While appealing to Nigerian leaders to put citizens first, saying this will enable leaders build a better future for all, Gates noted that he had been visiting Nigeria for over 20 years, and has forged friendships with leaders across sectors and met with innovators who, he said are transforming the world.

“I’m also proud to support their work. To date, our foundation has invested over $2.8 billion in Nigeria. It’s our largest commitment in all of Africa. To be known as a friend to Nigeria is a great honor. But being a friend means telling the truth, even when it’s difficult.

“That’s what I aimed to do six years ago, when I shared my thoughts with the NEC about the urgent need to invest in Nigeria’s greatest resource: its people. I said then that I will always bet on the incredible potential of the Nigerian people. And that’s still true today,” Gates said.

According to the philanthropist, the world has changed tremendously in those six years, however, Nigeria’s economy has stagnated. He said that early this year, Nigeria’s debt exceeded 50 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) for the first time since 2001.

“And, while your revenue-to-GDP ratio has grown, it’s still lower than what it was 15 years ago. The result is that Nigeria spends less per-capita on its people than other African countries with a fraction of your wealth,” he said.

Gates said that the country’s economic leaders had taken some difficult, but necessary steps, including unifying the exchange rate. According to him, the next great hurdle is raising revenue.

“I understand this is a politically sensitive area. Nigerians are struggling. Incomes have fallen. Prices have soared. And like in many other countries, people are protesting. Taxes are never popular. That’s true in America too. But they’re part of a social compact.

“People are more likely to pay them when they see the government spending that money to give Nigerians a better life,” he said.

He added that there were many Nigerian leaders committed to investing in the people and many promising solutions in the pipeline.

“President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda is ambitious. And he’s assembled a cabinet ready to meet the challenge. But with limited resources, the key is putting the funds you do have to the best possible use,” he said.

According to him, priorities without funding are only words, saying it’s impossible to give every priority the funding it requires. Gates advised the government to focus on the areas that would make the greatest difference on its citizens.

He stressed the need to prioritise health and agriculture, especially improved funding for nutrition at all levels of government.

“I’m an optimist by nature. I’ve seen how much good can be done by smart investments, innovative thinking, and dedicated leaders who put their people first. But I’m also a realist. I know as well as you do that turning things around won’t be easy.

“But by putting the Nigerian people first, Nigeria’s leaders can build a better future. In 2018, I closed my remarks to the NEC by telling you I believed in the grand vision of Nigeria’s future. Well, I’m here today to say I still do,” he said.

According to him, for over two decades, the foundation’s grantees have helped solve some of the most intractable problems in all priority areas. Gates reiterated his commitments to continued support for Nigeria’s development.

September 4, 2024
I’ve spent billions in Nigeria – Bill Gates

Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says Nigeria gets the largest intervention fund spent by the foundation in Africa. Gates said this during an interview session with selected journalists on the sidelines of the 2024 NutriVision Dialogue on Tuesday in Abuja. According to him, helping reduce health inequality globally is the top priority of the foundation, including getting rid of diseases like measles, malaria, and polio.

“We spend a lot in Asia, but we spend even more in Africa. The country we spend the most in Africa is Nigeria. That makes sense because of the population and because of the incredible needs that are here. That means that I’ve literally spent billions in Nigeria. I feel glad that things like the child mortality rate have come down, but we could do a lot better,” he said.

Gates further said that the foundation planned to spend more in future, disclosing that the funding would be centred on improving primary health care.

“Our work is almost entirely primary health care because the impact per dollar is dramatically greater than anywhere else,” he said.

He said that asides health, the foundation also invests lots of money in the agric sector, noting that boosting agricultural productivity was critical to Nigeria’s economic development.

This, he said, would be achievable through access to high yield and climate resistant seeds, fertilisers, improved and timely information and better weather predictions to farmers. According to him, this will significantly boost agricultural output and lower food cost.

The philanthropist said that the foundation supports partners in implementing food fortification of some staple foods, noting that this improves the nutritional quality of food supply and provides a public health benefit.

He emphasised that having access to a variety of low-cost foods, especially, milk and eggs are quite powerful to reducing malnutrition. Gates noted that the time was apt to utilise innovative ideas and tools in the health and agricultural sector to substantially reduce malnutrition.

Since its inception in 2000, the foundation has supported partnerships with African regional institutions, national governments, and local communities in 49 African countries. The foundation contributes funding and scientific expertise in support of their agendas for change. These partnerships have driven the success of numerous health, agriculture, equality, and anti-poverty initiatives.

The foundation has committed more than $7 billion through 2026 to support African countries and institutions working to develop and implement innovative approaches to confront hunger, disease, gender inequality, and poverty.

September 4, 2024
Bill Gates tells FG to shift focus from vaccine production

Philanthropist, Bill Gates has highlighted the challenges associated with local vaccine production in Nigeria, citing regulatory complexities and economic scale as significant barriers. Gates, who is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said this on Tuesday in Abuja during the Northern Traditional Leaders’ Committee on Primary Health Care Service Delivery (NTLC) quarterly review meeting.

The meeting was organised by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), where Gates discussed the broader landscape of local manufacturing within the health sector, suggesting that vaccines might not be the first choice for local entrepreneurs to focus on. While acknowledging the progress made in reducing vaccine costs globally, he suggested that Nigeria should prioritise the local production of other health products that could offer more immediate benefits.

“Vaccines are probably not the first thing they would choose to do because of the regulatory complexity and the scale economics. There are many other things in the health sector that should probably be higher on the list to ensure availability and cost are improved by local entrepreneurs,” he added.

He also recognised the significant achievements in Nigeria’s public health landscape, particularly the role of the NTLC in eradicating wild polio and successfully introducing the HPV vaccine. He said that the efforts had achieved 86 per cent coverage among girls between ages nine to 14.

Gates called for continued efforts to combat vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly in the face of new challenges like the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (CBPDD2). He called for strategic improvements in the effectiveness of vaccination teams, emphasising the need for diligent and trusted individuals at the ward and settlement levels to ensure compliance and follow-up.

“The selection of the right people for vaccination teams is crucial. They must be diligent, trusted by the community, and capable of following up on cases of noncompliance. Where results are lacking, we must be ready to make necessary changes,” he said.

He also underscored the importance of routine immunisations in protecting children from diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea, and measles. He praised the Sultan of Sokoto and other leaders for their commitment to improving health outcomes and urged them to continue the cooperation to raise immunisation levels across the country.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group, also addressed the traditional leaders, emphasising the urgent need for enhanced efforts in the fight against polio. Dangote highlighted the crucial role traditional rulers play in eradicating the wild poliovirus and addressing ongoing outbreaks.

He called for a concerted effort to provide polio vaccines and, also, routine immunisations, health, and nutrition services in insecure areas. He urged the NTLC to spearhead a cross-border synchronisation exercise to bolster border vaccinations.

Dangote stressed the importance of holding traditional leaders accountable in achieving the goal of stopping the ongoing CBPV2 outbreak. He also announced the expansion of the Crown Community Engagement Programme aimed at improving community engagement and resolving vaccine non-compliance issues.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, expressed deep appreciation for Gates’ consistent involvement in Nigeria. The Sultan particularly commended the philanthropist for his frequent visits to Sokoto, which signify his ongoing commitment to improving the health and welfare of the Nigerian people. He commended the NTLC for their 15 years of dedicated work, particularly highlighting their success in significantly reducing polio in Nigeria by 98 per cent.

Alhaji Mohammad Gulma, Head, Kebbi State District of the NTLC stressed the importance of community involvement in the campaign. Gulma said that such can be achieved through close collaboration with village and ward heads, religious leaders, and other key community members. He highlighted their commitment to active supervision throughout the campaign, and addressing non-compliance through dialogue and accountability.

Alhaji Kabiru Alhassan, Head of Sokoto State District, discussed the growth of a community-based health intervention initiative, which has expanded from 19 to 95 participants. Alhassan emphasised the critical role of community health in improving healthcare access at the grassroots level. He said that the programme had successfully identified and tracked children needing care, managed cases of child malnutrition, and improved maternal and child health.

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation from the NTLC to intensify efforts in supporting vaccination campaigns and addressing non-compliance issues to ensure that no child is left unprotected.

September 4, 2024
Bill Gates visits Nigeria, set to meet with Nigerian leaders, youths

Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Gates Foundation, will meet Nigerian leaders, youths, and partners to address health challenges, drive innovations, and improve nutrition in Africa.

This was disclosed in a statement by the foundation on Monday and made available to newsmen. It said that Gates would meet with national and local leaders, partners, grantees, and innovators during his visit on Tuesday.

“Gates, alongside other foundation leaders, will meet with experts in primary health care, agriculture, and nutrition who are driving progress across the continent, despite economic challenges,” the foundation said.

It said that the co-chair would also participate in a pan-African virtual dialogue addressing malnutrition through integrated health, agriculture, and financing solutions.

For this dialogue, it disclosed that Gates would be joined by musician, educator and humanitarian Jon Batiste.

According to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), every hour, 100 children under 5 years die of malnutrition in Nigeria. That is, Nigeria loses about 2,400 children to malnutrition daily.

According to the Global Hunger Trend, there has been an increase in malnourished children compared to the previous year. In 2023, the proportion of malnourished children increased from 9.3 per cent to 15.9 per cent. As of last year, 35 million children under five years of age suffered from malnourishment.

Also, 12 million children had stunted growth, 3 million wasted from excessive and rapid weight loss, and 23.5 million were anaemic. The average reduction in stunting is only 1.4 per cent per year.

Meanwhile, other cases related to malnutrition, such as child wasting, child stunting and child mortality, have continued to decline.

September 3, 2024
Bill and the gates to Nigerians healthcare – By Owei Lakemfa

Bill Gates, the American with a trophy as one of the World’s richest men, came visiting Nigeria last week. He publicly visited the Presidential Villa twice; first to meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the second, to meet Vice President Kashim Shettima Mustapha and our governors who came before him with begging bowls for health aid.

Despite Nigeria being one country, each governor had a separate health agenda and request, all expecting the former husband of Melinda French to grant their wishes. Although the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has a $50 billion endowment, out of which $7 billion has been earmarked for polio eradication, how do the governors and the Federal Government expect Gates to grant their separate requests, more so as Nigeria is just one of 196 countries in the world? If we must beg Gates for health hand outs, why can’t it be consolidated, or should we also have lined up the 774 local government chairmen before him?

I reflected that it would have cost us a fortune to gather the governors and their entourage in Abuja given the fact that most would have flown down while those coming by road would have burnt fuel at N500 per litre. Such money, if spent on healthcare, would have helped.

A day before the meeting, Gates had indicted Nigerian political leaders for poor investment in the nation’s health sector. He said government spends only $10 (N6,900) per Nigerian on healthcare annually compared to $31 in sub-Saharan Africa. He admonished that: “Leaders need to make a much bigger financial commitment, focusing most on improving primary health systems. Making sure clinics are well-staffed and supplied, making sure children get the vaccines they need.”

What Gates was saying is that the primary challenge is not in begging for assistance, but what is Nigeria doing with the healthcare system? Part of the answer was given a day before the June 22, 2023 Gates-Nigerian Governors meeting when some 400 health practitioners met under the umbrella of the Nigeria Union of Allied Health Professionals, NUAHP. The theme, ‘Alarming Brain Drain In Nigeria’s Health Sector: Need For Emergency Rescue’, summarised the state of our healthcare.

Former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Rahman Mimiko, a medical doctor, had introduced a medical revolution ‘Abiye’ in the state; building and equipping emergency medical facilities within five weeks and striving for zero fatalities during childbirth. To achieve this, his administration had made a cost of taking care of a woman from conception to delivery and how to meet it.

In his analysis why governments are not making much of an headway in healthcare delivery, Mimiko said: ”It is not the bricks and mortar that matter; it is the delivery. We spend so much on non-functional structures.”

He posited that no nation develops until it takes the health of its citizens serious and that life expectancy reflects the development of every country.

Mimiko, a two-term Governor and former Federal Minister for Housing and Urban Development, argued that health is a major investment and any government that is not making serious investment in health, is not serious.

In arguing that subsidising the healthcare of the citizenry should be a basic commitment of any government, he said the United States which is the father of capitalism takes healthcare so serious that the sector is the biggest employer while in Britain, the National Health Service, NHS, is a second religion. He said many never realise how poor they are until they are required to produce money for healthcare.

In making a case for the urgent equipment of health facilities and treatment of health practitioners as a special cadre, Mimiko warned that if the current rate of migration is not checked in the next five years, Nigerians may be at the mercy of traditional doctors.

On the professional harvesting of Nigerian health practitioners by foreign countries, Mimiko posited that there should be bilateral agreements such that if the United Kingdom, UK wants 1,000 nurses from Nigeria, it should contribute to producing another 1,000 Nigerian nurses.

In agreeing with Mimiko, Comrade Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, said if health practitioners are not provided the conducive atmosphere, any bill brought to the National Assembly to stop them from migrating, would be dead on arrival.

Dr Godswill Chikwendu Okara, the Registrar, West African College of Medical Laboratory Science, in his forensic analysis submitted that health professionals are leaving the country in droves due to mass unemployment, poor salaries and work conditions, mass poverty, religious, communal and political crises. He said between April 1, 2022 and this March, over 3,300 Nigerian nurses and midwives trained in the country, were licenced to practise in the UK, while by March 31, 2023, 10,639 of them were practising in UK alone.

Dr Okara’s solutions include a guaranteed peaceful environment, improved economy, access to competitive and fair paying jobs, better cost of living, strategic talent management, proper funding of tertiary education and allocation of more resources to education generally.

NUAHP President, Dr Obinna Ogbona, said COVID-19 was the “most traumatic, challenging and calamitous period of monumental proportion (as it) claimed the lives of some health workers and infected several others who were carrying out their duties to save lives in various hospital facilities and isolation centres in the country”. He regretted that the brain drain is depriving the country of the best talents to provide healthcare needs.

Former Minister of State for Environment and current Emir of Nasarawa, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, said most strikes, including in the health sector are due to the poor implementation of Collective Agreements, adding that in the first place, some agreements entered into by the government are not realistic. The health practitioners, he said, must develop team spirit to be able to serve the people.

Begging Gates or other donors will not fundamentally improve our health system; in any case, such funds can easily be frittered away. First, like Gates advocated, the system must be funded rather than have left over bones thrown at it. Secondly, we must return to the First Republic system of preventive medicine; the period we had active health inspectors fumigating gutters and checking the environment we lived. Back to those days when incinerators were provided in various areas rather than now when in most parts, refuse is not cleared. The country also has to return to the building and promotion of the primary healthcare system as was under Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti when he was Health Minister. Our leaders also need to discourage medical tourism by developing a health system that would be good enough to treat them as was the case in the First Republic. These are some of the gates to adequate healthcare in Nigeria.

June 26, 2023