Over the past week, tech revolutionary and Co-chair of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates visited Nigeria to get a first-hand look at the innovations being developed within the country. The foundation has been involved in the improvement of health, agriculture, and education in the continent for decades through a partnership with the government and allocating grants to research and outreach programmes. In May 2023, the Gates Foundation opened a new office in Abuja to accommodate their growing presence and show a commitment to their mission in Nigeria.
At the start of his trip, the philanthropist visited the presidential villa, Aso Rock, alongside Nigerian business mogul Aliko Dangote to brief the president on the activities of the foundation and discuss the goals for the continent. The visit to Aso Rock was in furtherance of the foundation’s interest in creating awareness and encouraging governments to pay attention to constraints in global health and education.
Another priority for Gates was to meet with partners and grant recipients to discuss the progress of their projects, including Professor Bosede Afolabi – a professor at the University of Lagos and an awardee of a $2.5 million grant in 2021 to research anemia in pregnant women – and The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, a non-profit institution focused on agricultural innovations.
The highlight of Gates’ trip was his presence at the Pan-African Youth Innovation Forum 2023 organised by Lagos Business School and Co-creation Hub where he spoke to young Nigerians about the impact of the Gates Foundation in the continent and commended the creativity and potential of Nigerians. In his speech, he highlighted the untapped innovations in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) space and the positive impact it can have on healthcare by designing malaria drugs, for example, and reducing inequity.
At the beginning of June, the foundation closed applications for their AI Challenge which offered $100,000 each to projects exploring how to use AI to solve everyday obstacles in low- and middle-income countries. Gates referred to this challenge in his speech, expressing that half of the 13,000 applications received were from Africa, an evidence of the incredible talent in the continent. After his speech, he participated in a Q&A session moderated by Dr. Tijani, the founder of Co-Creation Hub, giving insight into his journey as an innovator and businessman.
The visit to Nigeria will be followed by a visit to Niger, another of the Gates Foundation’s priority regions, where he will continue facilitating the advancement of global health and education.