By Samuel Adeola
Billionaire philanthropist and Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, has criticized the Nigerian government for its low investment in healthcare, warning that the country’s current budget is inadequate to address critical health challenges such as high maternal and child mortality rates.
Speaking at a media roundtable in Lagos on Wednesday ahead of the Gates Foundation’s first-ever Goalkeepers event in Nigeria, Gates said: “The amount of money Nigeria spends on healthcare is very, very small. I don’t know why you would expect maternal mortality to decline under such conditions.”
He stressed that quality maternal care, including access to C-sections, depends on significant investment in health infrastructure, something countries like India have successfully implemented.
Despite a ₦300 billion increase in Nigeria’s 2025 health budget, raising the total to ₦2.48 trillion or 5.18% of the national budget; Gates said the figure remains far too low.
Gates revealed he had discussed the issue with President Bola Tinubu, urging a stronger commitment to health funding despite competing national priorities.
He also expressed concern over declining global health aid, particularly cuts from the U.S., UK, and Germany, which he said will inevitably lead to more deaths from HIV, malaria, and maternal complications.
“There’s nobody who can match that U.S. government money,” he said. “We’ll have more deaths, and it’s painful because that funding was making a real difference.”
While the Gates Foundation continues to increase its spending annually, Gates noted that its resources are limited.
“My money is not extra money. If others disappear, I’ll still spend my money, but it’s the same amount,” he added.
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to Africa, stating that most of his pledged $200 billion donation over the next 20 years will be directed toward the continent.
