NIGERIA: Tinubu Confers National Honour On Bill Gates, Lauds His Global Impact

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday in Lagos conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of the Bill Gates Foundation.

The announcement was contained in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

President Tinubu described Gates as a global inspiration whose work continues to uplift the poor and underprivileged.

He praised the philanthropist’s contributions in the areas of maternal health, agriculture, and infectious disease research.

“All I need to say is thank you, Bill Gates, for your indivisible commitment to humanity. It is highly remarkable,” the President said.

He added that honouring Gates was a privilege for the nation and a moment of pride for its people.

The Minister of Health and Social Development, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said the award was well deserved.

He said Gates and his Foundation have been instrumental in improving the lives of Nigerians, especially in healthcare and agriculture.

According to Pate, the Foundation has invested over \$2 billion in Nigeria and played a pivotal role in eradicating polio.

Bill Gates expressed his gratitude for the honour, describing it as a recognition of the work done by his Foundation’s team in Nigeria over the past 25 years.

He said their focus had always been to support Nigeria’s goals to improve public health.

Gates said that thanks to collaborative efforts with President Tinubu, Professor Pate, and business leader Aliko Dangote, the country had made great strides in reducing child mortality and increasing vaccine coverage.

He acknowledged the difficulty of eradicating polio and the value of building partnerships with traditional institutions.

Gates also highlighted the successful rollout of the HPV vaccine to reduce cervical cancer among Nigerian women.

He noted that Nigeria had achieved better results than any other country in vaccinating young girls against the disease.

Gates reaffirmed his commitment to tackling malnutrition and supporting vaccine distribution to end malaria.

He said the Foundation plans to invest all its wealth in health improvement in Nigeria and other countries over the next two decades.

Among those present at the ceremony were Aliko Dangote, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs Zephaniah Jisalo, Gates Foundation executives, and Dr. Ayuba Burki Gufwan of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.