VICE President Kashim Shettima is currently meeting the co-Chairman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, the chairman of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote, and members of the Nigerian Governors Forum behind closed doors at the State House, Abuja.
The meeting, which began at 11:43am, is part of engagements lined up for Mr Gates’ visit to Nigeria and the Niger Republic.
It comes only 72 hours after Gates and Dangote met President Bola Tinubu on Monday at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Although the agenda of Thursday’s meeting is not yet known, this newspaper gathered that the attendees would consider areas of collaboration between both foundations and the Nigerian government, especially in the health and education sectors.
Mr Gates is visiting Nigeria to meet leaders and partners tackling health and development challenges.
A media advisory issued by the Foundation on Monday noted that 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, anaemia, 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 advisory read in part.
They have also met with national and regional leaders to encourage them to invest and advance policies that promote innovation and provide equitable opportunity, despite challenging economic conditions.
Earlier, Gates participated 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.
Seated for the meeting are the Chairman of the NGF, Governor Abdulrahman Adbulrazaq of Kwara State, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi; Dr Umar Radda of Katsina, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto, and Umar Namadi of Jigawa State.
Also attending are Deputy Governors of Kaduna, Delta, Kano, Plateau, Ebonyi, and Benue states, amongst others.
At the time the meeting began, this newspaper observed that the governors of Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Ekiti, Edo, Kebbi, Imo, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Rivers, Kogi, Taraba, Yobe and Gombe were yet to arrive.
