Vice President Kashim Shettima is having a meeting with the co-Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, the chairman of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, and members of the Nigerian Governors Forum behind closed doors at the State House, Abuja.
The meeting which started at 11:43 a.m., is part of engagements lined up for Mr Gates’ visit to Nigeria and the Niger Republic.
The visit is only 72 hours after Gates and Dangote met President Bola Tinubu on Monday at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
No details yet on the meeting, it is learnt that there would be talks on the collaboration between both foundations and the Nigerian government, especially in the health and education sectors.
Mr. Gates is visiting Nigeria to meet leaders and partners tackling health and development challenges.
The Foundation on Monday said the visit is part of the Gates Foundation’s commitment to work closely with communities and leaders to support innovation that can help accelerate progress and improve lives in Africa.
“Gates and other foundation leaders are visiting to learn from partners helping to address polio, anaemia, and other health threats; scientists applying research to develop agricultural innovations that will help with food security and climate adaptation; innovators using technology to improve access to financial services; and others working to improve lives in Niger and Nigeria and throughout the continent,” the Foundation said.
They have also met with national and regional leaders to encourage investment and advance policies that promote innovation and provide equitable opportunity, despite challenging economic conditions.
Earlier, Gates had a conversation with students and young leaders to get insights and mentor them on how science and innovation can facilitate positive change and contribute to a brighter outlook for Africa.
The Chairman of the NGF, Governor Abdulrahman Adbulrazaq of Kwara State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi; Dr Umar Radda of Katsina, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto, and Umar Namadi of Jigawa State attended the meeting as well as Deputy Governors of Kaduna, Delta, Kano, Plateau, Ebonyi, and Benue states, amongst others.
AWhen the meeting began, the governors of Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Edo, Kebbi, Imo, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Rivers, Kogi, Taraba, Yobe and Gombe were yet to arrive.
