A former lawmaker, who represented Kaduna Central in the Senate, Senator Shehu Sani, on Friday, said there is something so special about Nigeria that has made Bill Gates, Co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, so interested in visiting the country.
According to the senator, many Westerners don’t want to come to Nigeria due to the bad things that have been said about the country, except those interested in the nation’s crude oil.
“Someone that has remained consistently optimistic and never gave up about Nigeria is Bill Gates. Why is he not in Togo, Zimbabwe or Tunisia but Nigeria. There seems to be something he is seeing in our country that his peers in the West are not seeing.”
It would be recalled that Bill Gates had announced that he would be visiting two countries to discuss global health and development with national and local leaders, foundation partners, grantees, scientists, and young innovators.
The visit is part of the Gates Foundation’s commitment to work closely with communities and leaders to support innovation that can help accelerate progress and improve lives across Africa.
“Gates and other foundation leaders are visiting to learn from partners helping to address polio, anemia, and other health threats; scientists applying research to develop agricultural innovations that will help with food security and climate adaptation; innovators using technology to improve access to financial services; and others working to improve lives in Niger and Nigeria and throughout the continent,” the statement read.
“They will also meet with national and regional leaders to encourage them to make investments and advance policies that promote innovation and provide equitable opportunity, despite challenging economic conditions.
“Gates will also participate in a conversation with students and young leaders to gather insights and share perspectives on how science and innovation can accelerate positive change and contribute to a brighter outlook for Africa.”
