Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates has stated that Nigeria gets the largest intervention fund spent by the foundation in Africa.
Gates disclosed this during an interview session with selected journalists on the sidelines of the 2024 NutriVision Dialogue in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to Gates, helping reduce health inequality globally is the top priority of the foundation, including getting rid of diseases like measles, malaria and polio.
“We spend a lot in Asia, but we spend even more in Africa. The country we spend the most in Africa is Nigeria. That makes sense because of the population and because of the incredible needs that are here. That means that I’ve literally spent billions in Nigeria.
“I feel glad that things like the child mortality rate have come down, but we could do a lot better,” he said.
Gates added that the foundation planned to spend more in the future, disclosing that the funding would be centered on improving primary health care.
“Our work is almost entirely primary health care because the impact per dollar is dramatically greater than anywhere else,” he said.
He said that aside from health, the foundation also invests lots of money in the agricultural sector, noting that boosting agricultural productivity was critical to Nigeria’s economic development.
According to Gates, this would be achievable through access to high-yield and climate-resistant seeds, fertilizers, improved and timely information, and better weather predictions for farmers, adding that these will significantly boost agricultural output and lower food costs.
The philanthropist said that the foundation supports partners in implementing food fortification of some staple foods, noting that this improves the nutritional quality of the food supply and provides a public health benefit.
He emphasised that having access to a variety of low-cost foods, especially, milk and eggs, is quite powerful in reducing malnutrition.
Gates noted that the time was apt to utilise innovative ideas and tools in the health and agricultural sectors to substantially reduce malnutrition.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that since its inception in 2000, the foundation has supported partnerships with African regional institutions, national governments, and local communities in 49 African countries.
The foundation contributes 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.
The Bill & Melinda Foundation 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.