Category Nigeria News

Bill Gates, the son of Microsoft’s founder and former chairman of the Gates Foundation, will meet with President Bola Tinubu this week to discuss ways to improve Nigeria’s primary healthcare system.

During his planned visit, he will speak with leaders from the federal and state levels to discuss reforms in the country’s primary healthcare system.

Gates will also attend a Goalkeepers Nigeria event with a focus on Africa’s innovation future, meet with local scientists and partners who are developing Nigeria’s national strategy for scaling up health solutions, and sign a statement from the Gates Foundation.

INCLUDE   Gates Foundation To Spend $200 Million on Health, and Other Services In 20 Years.

According to Gates, the Foundation’s office in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal, as well as its first African office in Ethiopia about 13 years ago, were a great way to build partnerships, according to the statement.

Gates met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Ethiopia, where he was informed that the country would travel there to discuss its continued support of crucial reforms, expanding essential services, and remaining resilient in the revolving global aid environment.

Gates also participated in an iodine-folic acid double-fortified salt initiative roundtable discussion with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute.

Gates will travel to Nigeria to meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and speak with state and federal leaders about the country’s reforms in primary healthcare.

He will also meet with local scientists and partners shaping Nigeria’s national AI strategy and expanding health solutions, according to the statement. He will also take part in a Goalkeepers Nigeria event that will be held in October.

Gates’ trip comes in response to the foundation’s historic announcement on May 8 that it would invest $200 billion over the course of the next 20 years to advance progress in saving lives and improving lives. In that time, Gate pledged to give the foundation “virtually all of his wealth.”

The foundation will collaborate with its partners to achieve three main objectives over the next 20 years, including preventing the deaths of mothers and babies; ensure that no one in the upcoming generation develops infectious diseases that are deadly; and direct millions of people to a path to prosperity, thereby putting them out of poverty. The foundation’s activities will stop at the end of 20 years.

The National Cybersecurity Conference 2025 will be held at the Abuja Continental Hotel in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), QNA, and other important parties.

The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy is hosting the event with the theme “Building a Resilient Digital Future.”

This four-day summit aims to highlight strategies to empower the next generation of cyber defenders while addressing Nigeria’s digital flaws.

By 2025, damages projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually reflect the rapid evolution of the global cybercrime landscape. Nigeria, the nation’s top startup hub, must defend its digital gains, which will account for a 17.68% GDP in 2024, from growing threats, many of which are brought on by AI.

Experts claim that strong cybersecurity is essential because there are more than 134 million internet users and a growing 5G network.

The threats to our digital infrastructure, economy, and individual citizens are getting more sophisticated, according to Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

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Youth empowerment will be the main topic of conversation at the conference. Nigeria has the power to close Africa’s cybersecurity workforce gap, which is currently at 68, 000 unfilled positions, with over 60% of those under 25 and internet penetration among young people at 90%.

Youth-led solutions, startups, and innovation will be the focus of workshops, panel discussions, and a high-stakes cybersecurity hackathon.

The government is already laying the foundation. Energy is being directed toward economic diversification and the growth of tech talent through initiatives like President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the 3 Million Tech Talents (3MTT) program.

NITDA’s Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, urged all IT enthusiasts, relevant stakeholders, and key decision-makers from both the public and private sectors to attend the groundbreaking conference.

He emphasized that the conference’s goal is to create a future in which cybersecurity is a key enabler of trust, innovation, and economic prosperity rather than just defending against threats.

The cybersecurity sector in Nigeria is projected to experience a 20% increase in job opportunities by 2025, with starting salaries expected to be between $4 and $6 million annually.

The Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, which recognize individuals and organizations that advance digital safety across sectors, will be the event’s culmination.

At the conclusion of the conference, a clear path will be taken to fully establishing the Cybercrimes Act, and stronger global collaboration will be built, as synergy is necessary to combat the threats posed by digital criminals.

Bill Gates, the president of the Gates Foundation, has stated that his main investment for $200 billion will be in Africa and that it will place a premium on working with governments that prioritize the well-being of their citizens.

Despite the current headwinds, Gates reaffirmed this in an address on Monday at Nelson Mandela Hall of the African Union, calling on African leaders to take advantage of the moment to advance health and development through innovation and partnership.

The Gates Foundation’s statement, which addressed more than 12, 000 government officials, diplomats, health workers, development partners, and youth leaders in person and online, underlined the crucial role that African leadership and ingenuity play in shaping the continent’s health and economic future.

Also read: Bill Gates Says AI Is Important for Health, Education, and Innovation.

“Over the next 20 years, I’ve recently made the commitment to give away my wealth.” The majority of that money will be used to assist you in overcoming challenges in Africa.

Every African nation should be on a path to prosperity, according to Gates, who said that by enabling human potential through education and health.

In a fireside conversation to discuss Africa’s development agenda and the investments and partnerships necessary to advance the country’s development, Gates and Dr. Paulin Basinga, the foundation’s director for Africa, joined him.

Calls for collaboration and shared responsibility were also made by prominent African leaders, including Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organization, and Amina Mohammed, the deputy secretary-general of the UN.

According to the statement, Mrs. Graça Machel, a well-known advocate for women and children, described the current situation as “a moment of crisis” and stressed the value of lasting partnerships in Africa’s development journey.

A deep appreciation of African leadership, ideas, and innovation are reflected in Mr. Gates’ long-standing partnership with Africa. We rely on Mr. Gates’ unwavering commitment to continue walking this transformation path with us, she said.

Gates said, “With primary healthcare, what we’ve learned is that helping the mother be healthy and well-nourished before she gets pregnant, while she is pregnant, delivers the strongest results.” It makes a big difference to ensure the child is fed well during their first four years.

In his speech, Gates emphasized how bold leadership can be used to unlock new opportunities in nations like Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia.

Gates said, “I’ve always been inspired by the hard work of Africans even in places with very few resources,” referring to more than 20 years of engagement on the continent.

“The fieldwork has been incredible, even in the most rural areas,” says one researcher.

AI’s transformative potential

Gates also emphasized how significant artificial intelligence is for the continent’s future and spoke about its transformative potential.

He praised Africa’s young innovators, saying he was “seeing young people in Africa embracing this and considering how it applies to the problems they want to solve.”

He continued, “Africa largely skipped traditional banking and now you have a chance to think about how AI is incorporated into that as you build your next-generation healthcare systems,” drawing a parallel to the continent’s mobile banking revolution.

He cited Rwanda as an early sign of this promise, noting that Rwanda is “using AI to improve service delivery.” For instance, AI-enabled ultrasound helps women receive timely, potentially life-saving care by identifying high-risk pregnancies earlier.

Aliyu Audu, the senior special assistant to the president’s head of public affairs, claims that patience from the people is required to move Nigeria’s economy from poverty to prosperity.  

Audu made the claim during a Monday interview on The Beam on Channels Television that Nigeria can speed up development if its citizens and leaders commit to challenging but necessary reforms.

Processes that transition from being underdevelopment to being developed. Throughout the world, there are examples. Singapore took 35 years on average, India took 50, and a few more. However, we are different because we are Nigerians. He claimed that it shouldn’t take that long.

He acknowledged the country’s political inclinations while examining the country’s progress.

It’s our collective past, even though the PDP did a very poor job in their 16 years of power. The All-Party Congress (APC) chieftain said on the program that we must own it.

We are still connected, regardless of how well you would rate each party and leader who has led this nation. We are establishing a nation. ”

Additionally, Moody’s raises Nigeria’s rating to ‘B3+.

Audu praised Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted democracy and expressed optimism for the upcoming years, particularly given the administration’s reform initiatives led by President Bola Tinubu.

Incredibly, he said, “I believe there will be a lot of jobs created in the next four to six years.”

The president recently established the Nigerian Credit Guarantee Scheme with a $100 billion initial funding. The average Nigerian’s spending power is improved by doing so, he explained.

He argued that the cost of living is more important than the price of goods in the market because it is related to the citizen’s purchasing power. Life improves if one’s purchasing power rises. Life improves if there are jobs created. ”

He also emphasized the value of confronting corruption head-on, saying, “We will have more money available for job creation if we can remove corruption from our identities. We must intentionally put a stop to corruption in place. ”

Money is not exchange, it is just. A million naira exchanged in 10 hands is not the same as a million naira sitting in one place, Audu explained.

After it collapsed on Sunday night, the Oyo State Government shut down a well-known restaurant’s construction site in the Dugbe district of Ibadan, the state capital.

Following an on-the-spot inspection of the collapsed building, Williams Akin-Funmilayo, the commissioner for land, housing, and urban development, made this known to the press.

During the rainstorm that affected some of the state capital’s major cities, the structure caved in.

READ MORE:  10 Dead, Seven Injured In Oyo Building Collapse.

Akin-Funmilayo claimed the goal of the action was to prevent casualties, ensure the safety of lives and property, and also provide the government with accurate information about the incident’s cause.

The commissioner pointed out that some of the building materials used to construct the collapsed structure were poor and of poor quality.

To prevent a repeat of such an incident, he added that the state’s collapsed building and other restaurant branches would undergo an integrity check.

He added that the government’s next course of action would depend on the results of the test.

10 bodies were found in the Jegede, Ibadan’s Olunloyo neighborhood, in October 2024, among the debris from a collapsed building.

Some individuals’ injuries were confirmed to be also.

Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, recalls Siminalayi Fubara, the river’s state governor, as he is overcome with emotion whenever he recalls his or her actions.

When I watch the governor’s speeches in my quiet moment, Wike said in a media interview on Monday, “I sometimes weep,” he said. “What he said and did to me, I weep.

Fubara, the former governor of the Rivers, claimed that he had ties to those who wanted to take him down because of his alignment.

He continued, “He gave himself to those who couldn’t directly oppose me.”

Wike emphasized the need for genuine peace while insisting that he has no personal conflict with Fubara. He noted that while I have vowed to foresee peace, you must also demonstrate that the peace you want is real.

He claimed Fubara, not him, is responsible for the Rivers Crisis.

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