Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has shed light on why Nigeria receives the largest share of intervention funds allocated by the foundation across Africa. Speaking during an interview with selected journalists on the sidelines of the 2024 NutriVision Dialogue in Abuja on Tuesday, Gates highlighted the significance of Nigeria’s population and the substantial needs within the country as key factors.
“We spend a lot in Asia, but we spend even more in Africa. The country where we spend the most in Africa is Nigeria,” Gates stated. “That makes sense because of the population and the incredible needs that are here. That means that I’ve literally spent billions in Nigeria. I’m glad that things like the child mortality rate have come down, but we could do a lot better.”
Gates emphasized that the foundation’s top priorities include reducing global health inequality and eradicating diseases such as measles, malaria, and polio. He noted that the foundation plans to increase its spending in the future, particularly focusing on enhancing primary healthcare.
“Our work is almost entirely focused on primary healthcare because the impact per dollar is dramatically greater than anywhere else,” he explained.
In addition to health initiatives, Gates pointed out that the foundation also heavily invests in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, recognizing its critical role in the country’s economic development. He stressed that boosting agricultural productivity could be achieved through access to high-yield, climate-resistant seeds, fertilizers, improved information, and better weather predictions for farmers.
According to Gates, these strategies will significantly enhance agricultural output and help reduce food costs. He also highlighted the foundation’s support for food fortification initiatives, which aim to improve the nutritional quality of staple foods, thereby offering significant public health benefits.
Gates further emphasized the importance of access to a variety of low-cost foods, particularly milk and eggs, as essential for reducing malnutrition. He concluded by noting that the time is ripe to leverage innovative ideas and tools in both the health and agricultural sectors to make substantial progress in combating malnutrition.
