Bill Gates, the world’s second-richest man, said that Nigeria is the greatest commitment of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Gates made the comment alongside Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, during the 74th Annual United Nations General Assembly in New York.
President Buhari’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, confirmed with Lagos-based media outlet This Day Live that Gates said India is the only country where the foundation makes greater investment than Nigeria.
During the summit, Buhari also applauded the work Dangote has done under the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
“Thanks for deriving pleasure in helping people,” said Buhari. “Congratulations to you for returning part of your wealth to the people in diverse ways.”
Commitment To Nigeria
United States’ billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates, and Nigeria’s own Aliko Dangote, has made it their mission to improve the health and well-being in the West African country.
“With over 170 million people, we believe Nigeria will play an important role in improving the country and providing solutions across the continent to help people build better lives,” a statement from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation reads. “In Nigeria, we work with government, the private sector, and civil society to help people lift themselves out of poverty. We want to see children, mothers, and farmers, in particular, given the opportunities to lead healthy and productive lives.”
For staff under the Aliko Dangote Foundation, their main objective is “to reduce the number of lives lost to malnutrition and disease.”
With foundations goals that closely align, it should come to no surprise that both organizations have partnered together to invest more than $100 million in reducing malnutrition in Nigeria.
‘‘One of the greatest factors that undermine progress is malnutrition. A lot of kids don’t have access to sufficient and nutritious food,’‘ Dangote told people at this year’s Goalkeepers event.
