President Bola Tinubu said on Tuesday in Lagos that Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of the Bill Gates Foundation, inspires 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.
He thanked Gates for providing global leadership that prioritises ameliorating the lives and safety of the poor and underprivileged.
He said: “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.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Health and Social Development, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said Mr Gates’s recognition was well deserved, considering his long-term involvement in Nigeria’s national development.
He said: “Bill Gates’ friend, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has been working with him to transform lives across the country. From that time until now, the Gates Foundation and through other channels have invested more than $2 billion of its capital in various arenas that directly affect our people, whether in health care, agriculture, or the digital economy.
“Importantly, when he came into Northern Nigeria, there were challenges with immunisation, people refusing because of ignorance, and with Mr Gates and Alhaji Aliko, they mobilised the entire traditional ruler’s committee.”
Pate said the strong support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation eradicated polio.
Gates said he was honoured by the conferment of the CFR by the President.
He said: “I am very happy to receive the honour for myself and the incredible team at the Foundation. From the beginning, the Foundation’s goal was to support improving Nigeria’s health sector.
“Nigeria had some ambitious goals for improving health, and three people here today are great champions of that cause. Of course, the President is making health a priority. Pate, we’ve worked together to handle great challenges, including the incredible progress on polio.
“Then, Dangote, I got to know, and we have done great work together. So, in the 25 years in Nigeria, we have achieved a lot. As was mentioned, the child death rate has gone down, and that’s because new vaccines were received to boost our efforts.
“Much work was done to increase the coverage and get vaccines to every child.”
Gates said the effort to eradicate polio was one of the Foundation’s toughest. A lot was learnt, and partnerships were built with traditional institutions.
He said the Foundation had already rolled out HPB vaccines to reduce the 7,000 annual deaths of women from cervical cancer.
He said a single dose of the vaccine taken by girls ages 9-14 could give them lifetime protection.
“Nigeria achieved a better result than any other country in getting out the vaccine to young girls,” he noted.
Gates told Tinubu that he was dedicated to cutting malnutrition and spreading vaccines that could end malaria in Nigeria.
“Some of our goals will seem ambitious; for example, in the next twenty years, we hope to eradicate malaria,” he added.
Gates assured the Nigerian leader of his continued commitment to improving health in Nigeria, aiming to invest his entire wealth in this cause in the next 20 years.
Aliko Dangote, the President and Chairman of Dangote Group, the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Hon. Zephaniah Jisalo, executives of the Gates Foundation and Dr. Ayuba Burki Gufwan, Executive Secretary National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, attended the ceremony.
