LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT REFUNDS 145 FORMER SUBSCRIBERS OF EGAN HOUSING ESTATE
admin By Oyebola Owolabi
Bill Gates has admonished Nigerian leaders to invest in the people if the country must experience true economic growth.
Gates was addressing the National Economic Summit (NEC) on Wednesday after attending the 2024 NutriVision event in Abuja.
According to him, there is an urgent need to invest in Nigeria’s greatest resource, the people.
He also praised President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ as ambitious, but said ‘with limited resources, the government must put the funds you do have to the best possible use’.
The philanthropist highlighted such areas of importance to include health, nutrition and maternal mortality, as well as agriculture.
He said: “Without health, there can be no opportunity. In just two decades, the world reduced the number of children who die before their 5th birthday by half. That’s largely thanks to investments in primary healthcare, like routine immunisation. But in Nigeria today, 2.2 million kids have never gotten a single vaccine. I think you’ll agree that if children aren’t immunised against deadly diseases, little else matters.
“Primary care is the first—and sometimes, the only—point of contact most patients have with the health system. Yet Nigeria spends just N3,000 on primary healthcare per person, per year, with 70 per cent of your spending going to secondary and tertiary care. That ratio should be reversed.
“I had a chance to visit Abuja National Hospital. In theory, their role is to provide specialised care. But in practice, most of their patients come from primary health centers that can’t provide basic services. The staff I met yesterday are doing heroic work with very few resources. But they shouldn’t have to be heroic.
“It’s up to each state to not only prioritise primary health in their budgets, but also follow through on releasing the funds on time. Realistic budgeting also requires good data. Data can reveal uncomfortable truths. But no country can plan for the future without understanding the present.
“Without a realistic plan, health systems break down. Salaries don’t get paid. Equipment doesn’t get maintained. Supplies don’t show up. And, over time, patients give up on seeking care altogether. A good plan should recognise the financial constraints and prioritise the services that do the greatest good. And that requires data.
“When Nigeria commits to something, you can accomplish amazing things. If you prioritise primary healthcare in state budgets, strengthen your digital systems, and follow through on Nigeria’s ambitious Sector-Wide reforms, you can save many, many more lives.
“The second area I want to urge you to invest in is nutrition. Malnutrition is the root cause of nearly half of all child-deaths. When children are malnourished, they’re more vulnerable to deadly diseases. Even the children who survive malnutrition never escape it. It stunts their brains and bodies in ways that can’t be reversed. And new data shows that nearly one-third of Nigerian children suffer stunting.
“Still, there’s reason to be optimistic. Nigeria already mandates that staple ingredients like cooking oil and wheat flour are fortified with essential nutrients. And researchers are now working on fortifying bouillon cubes too. If scaled up, these bouillon cubes could save 11,000 lives and prevent over 16 million cases of anemia each year.
“But though companies are already mandated to fortify some staples, many aren’t fully complying. Private sector partnership is crucial here. While your immediate priorities may differ, government and business leaders all want the same thing: a healthier, wealthier Nigeria.
“Food fortification wouldn’t be what it is today without industry leaders like my friend Aliko Dangote. And I’m glad that President Tinubu is working with the private sector through the Presidential Economic Coordination Council.”
Gates added: “Nutrition is fundamental to public health and agriculture is fundamental to nutrition. Yet Nigeria has the second-highest rate of food insecurity on earth. You’ve seen how the problem has grown worse as climate change has accelerated. Arable land has disappeared. Pests have wiped out harvests. And prices for staple foods have soared. But there are some ways to address this crisis I hope you’ll consider.
“First, Nigeria needs more funding for extension workers, to advise and support farmers; fertilisers to make sure the soil is healthy enough to grow more crops; and infrastructure, so that farmers have roads to bring their goods to market.
“One key solution is to embrace the new generation of innovative crop varieties that have shorter growing periods, higher yields, and greater resistance to pests. Though Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of cassava, demand still exceeds the supply. That’s why the Gates Foundation is supporting scientists who’ve created new cassava varieties. They’re stronger, more resistant to disease, and produce twice the yields of typical cassava. That, in turn, means better lives for farmers and their families, more funding for other priorities, and a path to true food security for the country.
“To make the most of new crop varieties, Nigeria needs to speed up the regulatory process to approve them. That process is important, and should always be taken seriously. But you can move carefully and quickly.”
