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Philanthropist and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates is visiting Nigeria as part of the foundation’s ongoing commitment to Africa’s development. He arrives on Monday.
While in the country, Gates will be meeting with national and local leaders, partners, grantees and innovators.
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. He will also participate in a pan-African virtual dialogue focused on addressing malnutrition through integrated health, agriculture, and financing solutions. For this dialogue, Gates will be joined by musician, educator and humanitarian Jon Batiste.
In a statement released in Abuja, the foundation reinforced its belief that solutions to Africa’s greatest challenges can come from within Africa. “This is why the foundation supports African partners whose bold ideas and creative approaches have the potential to save lives, improve health, and help families across the continent,” the statement reads.
The foundation said it 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.
“Since the foundation’s inception in 2000, it has supported partnerships with African regional institutions, national governments, and local communities in 49 African countries to contribute 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,” it says.
