President Bola Tinubu has bestowed 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 and Melinda Gates Foundation, lauding him as a global inspiration whose philanthropy continues to uplift the poor and vulnerable.
The honour was conferred on Tuesday in Lagos during a special ceremony attended by dignitaries including Aliko Dangote, top government officials, and executives of the Gates Foundation.
“Today, I would like to share my happiness and respect and acknowledge one of the greatest human beings in the world,” President Tinubu said during the event.
“All I need to say is thank you, Bill Gates, for your indivisible commitment to humanity. It is highly remarkable. It is an inspiration to leaders across the world, including the one standing before you.
I thank you very much. It is a great thing to honour you as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.
The President highlighted Gates’s decades-long contributions to maternal health, agriculture, and the fight against infectious diseases, expressing gratitude for his leadership in prioritising the welfare of the poor across the world.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Health and Social Development, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the recognition was timely and well-earned, considering Gates’s long-standing engagement in Nigeria’s development.
“Bill Gates’ friend, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has been working with him to transform lives across the country. From that time until now, the Gates Foundation and through other channels have invested more than $2 billion of its capital in various arenas that directly affect our people, whether in health care, agriculture, or the digital economy.
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“Importantly, when he came into Northern Nigeria, there were challenges with immunisation, people refusing because of ignorance, and with Mr Gates and Alhaji Aliko, they mobilised the entire traditional ruler’s committee,” he stated.
Pate also credited the Foundation’s strong backing for the successful eradication of polio in Nigeria.
In his acceptance remarks, Bill Gates expressed appreciation for the national honour and acknowledged the efforts of his team at the Foundation.
“I am very happy to receive the honour for myself and the incredible team at the Foundation. From the beginning, the Foundation’s goal was to support improving Nigeria’s health sector,” he said.
“Nigeria had some ambitious goals for improving health, and three people here today are great champions of that cause. Of course, the President is making health a priority. Pate, we’ve worked together to handle great challenges, including the incredible progress on polio.
“Then, Dangote, I got to know, and we have done great work together. So, in the 25 years in Nigeria, we have achieved a lot. As was mentioned, the child death rate has gone down, and that’s because new vaccines were received to boost our efforts.
“Much work was done to increase the coverage and get vaccines to every child,” he added.
He described polio eradication as one of the toughest challenges the Foundation faced, noting that the lessons learnt and partnerships built with traditional institutions were invaluable.
Gates also highlighted the Foundation’s ongoing rollout of HPV vaccines aimed at reducing the estimated 7,000 annual deaths of women from cervical cancer.
“A single dose of the vaccine taken by girls ages 9-14 could give them lifetime protection.
Nigeria achieved a better result than any other country in getting out the vaccine to young girls,” he noted.
Reaffirming his long-term commitment to the country, Gates told President Tinubu that he remains focused on tackling malnutrition and supporting the spread of malaria-preventing vaccines.
“Some of our goals will seem ambitious; for example, in the next twenty years, we hope to eradicate malaria,” he added.
Gates concluded by pledging to continue investing his entire wealth over the next two decades toward improving global health, with Nigeria as a top priority.
The event was attended by Aliko Dangote, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Hon. Zephaniah Jisalo, Dr. Ayuba Burki Gufwan, executive secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and other dignitaries.
