Founder of Microsoft and Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to increase its investment in equitable solutions such as health, for the country.
He decried that the country’s state and federal governments spend only $10 per person on health annually, compared to the $31 average in sub-Saharan Africa.
He stated this in his address at the Pan-African Youth Innovation Forum in Lagos with the theme: Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation.”
Gates decried that Nigerians continue to face the same challenges he highlighted five years ago, including economic instability and security threats.
He, therefore, urged the Tinubu government to make a much bigger financial commitment, focused most of all on improving primary health systems.
He pointed out that Nigeria has a lot of talented people with a lot of potential, and warned it could be hard to fulfil that potential if they don’t have access to the most basic building blocks of life.
“Making sure clinics are well-staffed and supplied, making sure children get the vaccines they need—all of this is absolutely essential to improving health and opportunity and unlocking all of Nigeria’s potential,” he said.
He also noted that he plans to speak with the government about increasing commitments to agriculture and digital financial systems but stated that Nigerians still suffer from many unsolved challenges.
Gates noted that in the future, Intelligence (AI) will be applied in ways that will bring quality health care and education to more people.
He added AI has the potential to save and improve lives, but said that won’t happen if profit was the only motive.
