Gates Foundation’s $100 Billion Healthcare Investment Bolsters Nigeria’s Partnerships

 On June 4, 2025, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, highlighted that the foundation’s $100 billion investment in African healthcare over the past 25 years has significantly strengthened partnerships in Nigeria and other countries.

Speaking in Lagos during a Goalkeepers AI innovation summit co-hosted with President Bola Tinubu, Gates emphasized Nigeria’s role in reducing child mortality by 40% since 2000, with 10 million lives saved through Gavi and the Global Fund, both heavily backed by the foundation. The investment has trained 20,000 Nigerian health workers, boosted 50% vaccine coverage, and eradicated wild poliovirus in 2016, a feat Gates credited to collaboration with Aliko Dangote and northern traditional leaders.

Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, serving 70% of its 220 million people, benefits from $500 million annually, funding AI-driven tools like mobile diagnostics, which cut malaria deaths by 20% in 2024. Gates met with Health Minister Mohammed Pate to advance $200 million for 2026-2030 reforms, targeting 80% immunization rates. However, challenges persist: 30% of rural clinics lack electricity, and US aid cuts under Trump’s $3 billion reduction policy have strained programs, risking 500,000 HIV infections by 2030.

Critics, 45% in Nigerian polls, argue foreign aid fosters dependency, while supporters note 60% of 5,000 surveyed communities report better care. Gates urged Nigeria to increase its $1 billion health budget by 20%, as 34% inflation squeezes families. The foundation’s five African offices, including Abuja, drive 100 innovations, but 1,000 unresolved corruption cases in Nigeria’s health sector demand scrutiny. This milestone underscores Nigeria’s progress and the need for local ownership amidst global funding shifts.