Co-chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Bill Gates, has urged the Federal Government to improve investments in equitable solutions and in the people who are working on them.

He spoke during the Pan-African Youth Innovation Forum, yesterday,  in Lagos, as part of activities for his visit to Nigeria.

The Forum had as  theme: “Advancing Africa: Unleashing the power of youth in science and innovation.”

Gates said Nigeria was full of talented people with a lot of potential, but noted that it could be hard to fulfill that potential if they don’t have access to the most basic building blocks of life.

“It may not surprise you that Nigeria’s states and federal government only spend the equivalent of $10 on health per person each year, compared to $31 in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. Leaders need to make much bigger financial commitment, focused most of all on improving primary health systems. Making sure clinics are well-staffed and supplied, making sure children get the vaccines they need—all of this is absolutely essential to improving health and opportunity and unlocking all of Nigeria’s potential,” he said.

Gates said he would speak with the government about increasing commitments to agriculture and digital financial systems.

He said  Nigerian youths have shown how passionate they are about progress, but they need to encourage their leaders to follow through on these commitments.

“The last time I visited Nigeria in 2018, I spoke to government leaders about your country’s potential for growth. This time, I wanted to speak also with you: Nigeria’s next generation of innovators.

“Ever since I was a teenager, writing computer code on a terminal at my high school, and later at Microsoft, I have loved the feeling of innovating to make something a little better for people—or a lot better. I’m sure you know this feeling too. There’s going to be a lot of opportunity for you to continue to make a difference in the world, because of the unprecedented potential of new technologies.

“However, Nigerians are still facing many of the challenges I talked about five years ago – and you have to contend with economic instability and security threats. I have a lot of faith that your generation will persevere and improve lives throughout Nigeria and beyond,” he said.

Gates said that talented youths are a powerful asset to making the world a better place.

He said that Nigeria’s huge youth population represented a lot of potential skills and passion to solve big problems.

“Yesterday, I met some impressive Nigerians whom the Gates Foundation has been partnering with for years. These scientists are improving seeds, fertiliser, and biopesticides so farmers can thrive in the face of climate change and grow crops free of toxins. And I met with a researcher scaling up an effective way to reduce anemia in pregnant women,” he said.

Gates said that young people needed strong support system to thrive, starting with education.

He added that Nigeria had a strong foundation, with some of the best educational and research institutions across the continent.

He stressed the need to bridge inequity in health, education, financial services and pay gaps to drive development.

Gates expressed his belief in the power of science and innovation to help people lead long, healthy lives, but noted that he had learnt that the benefits don’t automatically reach everyone.

“To do that, the people creating new breakthroughs, funding them, and getting them into the world all need to prioritise equity,” he said.

The post Bill Gates urges FG to improve investment in equitable solutions appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.