Lagos: President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday in Lagos, praised Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of the Bill Gates Foundation, for inspiring leaders worldwide by consistently lifting the poor and underprivileged. The President, who conferred the national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Gates, noted the renowned philanthropist’s interventions in maternal health, agriculture, and infectious disease research.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Tinubu thanked Gates for providing global leadership that prioritised ameliorating the lives and safety of the poor and underprivileged. ‘Today, I would like to share my happiness and respect and acknowledge one of the greatest human beings in the world. All I need to say is thank you, Bill Gates, for your indivisible commitment to humanity. It is highly remarkable. It is an inspiration to leaders across the world, including the one standing before you. I thank you very much. It is a great thing to honour you as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’ he added.
Gates, in his response, expressed his honour at receiving the CFR from the President. He highlighted the Foundation’s goal from the beginning to support improving Nigeria’s health sector. Gates noted that Nigeria had set ambitious health improvement goals, with significant champions of the cause present at the event. He commended President Tinubu for prioritising health and acknowledged his collaborations with individuals like Prof. Muhammad Pate and Alhaji Aliko Dangote in tackling major health challenges, including progress on polio eradication.
Gates elaborated on the Foundation’s efforts to increase vaccine coverage and address polio, stating that many partnerships were built with traditional institutions to achieve these goals. He mentioned the rollout of HPB vaccines to reduce cervical cancer deaths among women and noted Nigeria’s exemplary performance in vaccinating young girls against the disease.
Expressing his dedication to further reducing malnutrition and spreading vaccines to end malaria in Nigeria, Gates shared ambitious goals for the next twenty years, including eradicating malaria. He assured President Tinubu of his continued commitment to improving health in Nigeria, with intentions to invest his wealth in this cause over the next two decades.
Prof. Muhammad Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Development, earlier remarked that Gates’s recognition was well-deserved, given his extensive involvement in Nigeria’s national development. Pate highlighted Gates’s partnership with Alhaji Aliko Dangote to transform lives across the country and the Foundation’s significant financial investments in areas affecting Nigerians, such as healthcare, agriculture, and the digital economy.
Pate also acknowledged that the Gates Foundation’s strong support was instrumental in eradicating polio in Nigeria, overcoming challenges like immunisation refusals through mobilisation efforts involving traditional rulers.