President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday conferred Nigeria’s prestigious national honour, the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, CFR, on Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates in recognition of his long-standing contributions to public health, agriculture, and humanitarian development across Nigeria and beyond.
At a special ceremony held in Lagos, Tinubu praised Gates for his extraordinary commitment to improving the lives of the underprivileged globally.
He lauded the tech mogul for inspiring world leaders and offering unwavering support in key areas like maternal health, infectious disease prevention, and agricultural development.
“Today, I want to express my gratitude and respect to one of the greatest humanitarians of our time. Thank you, Bill Gates, for your indivisible commitment to humanity. It is an honour to celebrate your remarkable efforts,” Tinubu said during his remarks. “You continue to inspire leaders around the world, including myself.”
In his response, Gates said he was deeply honored by the CFR recognition. He dedicated the award to the team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has partnered with Nigerian stakeholders over the past 25 years to improve health outcomes and support development initiatives.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to support the Nigerian health sector,” Gates stated. “We’ve seen significant progress, especially in reducing child mortality thanks to expanded vaccine coverage and disease prevention efforts.”
The philanthropist highlighted achievements made in Nigeria, including successful vaccination campaigns, cervical cancer prevention through HPV vaccines, and the hard-fought battle against polio.
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He acknowledged that Nigeria has outperformed other countries in reaching young girls with the life-saving HPV vaccine and credited strong partnerships with traditional rulers for the outreach success.
Gates reaffirmed the Foundation’s long-term commitment to the country, stating, “In the next 20 years, we aim to eradicate malaria and significantly reduce malnutrition. I am committed to investing my entire wealth toward improving health, particularly in Nigeria.”
Also speaking at the event, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Development, Prof. Muhammad Pate, applauded the recognition of Gates, describing it as “richly deserved.” He emphasized that Gates and his longtime collaborator, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, have been instrumental in driving health and development initiatives in the country.
Pate revealed that the Gates Foundation has invested over $2 billion in Nigeria over the years in critical sectors including healthcare, agriculture, and the digital economy.
He noted that the Foundation played a pivotal role in eradicating polio in Nigeria, even in regions where vaccine resistance had once been strong.
“Together with Alhaji Dangote, Mr Gates helped mobilize traditional rulers to support immunization and public health efforts across Northern Nigeria,” Pate said.
As the event concluded, President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to partnering with the Gates Foundation to achieve shared health and development goals.
NAN
