Bill Gates, Dangote visit Tinubu to talk health

Gates, President Tinubu and Dangote

Healthcare took the centre stage at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday when the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, and American business mogul, Bill Gates, visited President Bola Tinubu.

Welcoming the visitors, President Tinubu renewed his promise prioritise healthcare development in Nigeria saying, for any country to develop, the health of its people, particularly the workforce, is critical.

In a statement issued at the end of the visit, the Special Adviser, Special Duties, Communication, and Strategy to the president, Dele Alake said the President commended the Gates Foundation for its work for humanity and also for its partnership with the Aliko Dangote Foundation.

The President traced some of the challenges facing Nigeria’s health sector to budgetary constraints and funding and pledged to do all that is required to make the work of the two Foundations  in Nigeria and Africa successful, particularly in the area of eradicating polio, measles, malaria, and other diseases from the continent.

He commended Mr. Gates on his efforts in the area of climate change and in eradicating polio and malaria from Africa, saying more work is required to support developing countries.

 “You have all it takes to help developing nations more,” President Tinubu said.

In an interview with journalists after the visit, Mr. Dangote  said the visit to the villa was to brief the President on the activities of the partnership between both foundations, highlighting their commitments to improving the health sector in Nigeria.

He said both foundations are willing to cooperate further with the government in achieving its goals.

He  commend the President for the steps taken so far, even as he expressed confidence that more state funds would be allocated to education, health, infrastructure, and other critical areas of the economy.