The world's richest man and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, is currently in Abuja, Nigeria on a polio eradication drive.
According to Nigeria's Channels Television, Gates, whose foundation is at the vanguard of the ongoing campaign to end polio in Nigeria, met with members of Nigeria’s lower legislative house on Monday, where he commended the Nigerian government’s efforts in channeling more resources towards delivering oral polio vaccine (OPV) to vulnerable individuals in hot areas. He also expressed an overall satisfaction with the country’s efforts in eradicating polio.
“The goal of saving lives is a very realistic goal. Through these efforts I do think that children who do survive will be far healthier and able to take advantage of their education and contribute to the success of Nigeria,” he said.
The Microsoft cofounder, who was joined by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, expressed hopes that his latest Nigerian visit would strengthen the Gates Foundation’s partnership with Nigeria in eradicating polio.
The Speaker of Nigeria’s lower legislative house, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, promised Gates that that the National Assembly would improve funding for polio-eradication initiatives in the 2014 Appropriation Act. He also commended the two billionaires for their philanthropic activities, particularly in the Nigerian fight against polio. Last year, the Dangote Foundation and the Gates Foundation announced an alliance that would provide vaccines, funding and technical support to the Nigerian government to strengthen polio immunization.
“Both of you, yourself (Bill Gates) and Dangote have proven that business and compassion are not mutually exclusive. They can be combined for the good of humanity,” Hon Tambuwal said.
The Gates Foundation has a long history of funding polio eradication initiatives in Nigeria. The Foundation has a $25 million agreement in place with the World Bank to support the purchase of about 100 million doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) in Nigeria. So far, the fight against polio has been a successful one; polio cases in Nigeria have dropped by more than 50% in 2013 with only 49 cases reported this year.
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