The Vice President Kashim Shettima has commended the Gates Foundation for its sustained investments and humanitarian initiatives in Nigeria, describing the Foundation as a key strategic partner in the country’s drive to transform its national narrative.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja during a meeting with a delegation from the Foundation led by Hari Menon, President of the Foundation’s Global Growth and Opportunity (GGO) division, Senator Shettima pledged to support the Foundation’s efforts to deepen collaboration with the Nigerian government and private sector across sectors including digital transformation, nutrition, agriculture, and health.
“I call them in the oddest of hours and they attend to us. We deeply appreciate the Gates Foundation. It is our strategic partner in the drive to change the Nigerian narrative,” Shettima said. He highlighted the Foundation’s role in human capital development, nutrition, agriculture, and strengthening the health system, assuring that the partnership would be elevated to a “higher pedestal,” particularly in nutrition, which is receiving heightened attention.
Shettima described Nigeria as the “sleeping giant of Africa,” stressing the nation’s potential to surpass major global economies if strategic interventions are applied. He emphasized the importance of boosting agricultural productivity through modern technologies, high-yield and climate-resilient seeds, precision farming, and improved irrigation systems.
On agriculture, he said: “We have been talking about agriculture for far too long but the whole mantra is about how to increase productivity.” He also highlighted his background as an agricultural economist and banker as informing his approach to policy.
Hari Menon explained that the delegation’s visit aimed to expand the Foundation’s partnership with Nigeria, aligning with the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. He emphasized the Foundation’s commitment to three broad goals: reducing preventable maternal and child deaths, eliminating infectious diseases, and fostering economic opportunities to drive inclusive prosperity.
Menon added that Nigeria is emerging as a trailblazer in these areas, and that progress made in the country could serve as a model for other nations in the Global South.
