President Bola Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in recognition of his contributions to global health, education, and poverty alleviation, particularly in Nigeria.
The president conferred the honour on Gates in Lagos on Tuesday at an event witnessed by top government officials, including Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, and Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group, among others.
The award recognises Gates’ contributions to global health, education, and poverty alleviation, including strategic partnerships with Nigeria.
Gates is in Nigeria to meet with President Tinubu and other senior officials to discuss reforms in the country’s primary healthcare system.
He will also participate in a Goalkeepers Nigeria event focused on Africa’s innovation future and meet with local scientists and partners shaping the country’s national strategy on artificial intelligence (AI) and scaling up health solutions.
Gates’ visit follows the foundation’s announcement that it would spend $200 billion over the next 20 years to advance progress on saving and improving lives, particularly across Africa.
The Gates Foundation has worked with African partners to save lives, develop vaccines, and strengthen systems, contributing to saving more than 80 million lives through Gavi and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
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