The Co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, has urged the Federal Government to improve investment in equitable solutions and in the people who are working on them.
He said this during the Pan-African Youth Innovation Forum on Wednesday in Lagos, as part of activities for his visit to Nigeria.
The Forum had the theme: Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation.
Mr. Gates said that Nigeria was full of talented people with a lot of potential, but noted that it could be hard to fulfil that potential if they don’t have access to the most basic building blocks of life.
Mr. Gates said that he would speak with the government about increasing commitments to agriculture and digital financial systems.
According to him, Nigerian youths have shown how passionate they are about progress, but they need to encourage their leaders to follow through on these commitments.
Mr. Gates said that talented youths are a powerful asset to making the world a better place.
President Bola Tinubu had on Monday, held a meeting with Aliko Dangote, president of Dangote Group, and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
The visit was part of the Gates Foundation’s commitment to working with leaders and partners to support innovation that can help accelerate progress and improve lives across Africa.
During the meeting, Tinubu pledged to give priority attention to the health and safety of Nigerians.
While saluting the courage and commitment of Bill Gates to working for humanity, the president commended the partnership with Aliko Dangote Foundation.
Tinubu said his administration would do all that is required to make their work in Nigeria and Africa successful, particularly in the area of eradicating polio, measles, malaria and other diseases from the continent.