Vice President Kashim Shettima has hailed the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a vital ally in Nigeria’s quest to reform its economy and public health systems, pledging to intensify partnerships in agriculture, nutrition and digital innovation.
Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Shettima received a delegation led by Hari Menon, president of the foundation’s Global Growth and Opportunity division.
He lauded the foundation’s longstanding investments in human capital, health and farming, calling its Nigerian staff “strategic partners” who respond “in the oddest of hours.”
“We deeply appreciate the Gates Foundation. It is our strategic partner in the drive to change the Nigerian narrative,” Shettima said.
“We need the Gates Foundation not just as a strong and consistent partner but as a major stakeholder in the Nigeria Project.”
Vice President Shettima emphasized boosting farm productivity through high-yield seeds, precision farming and better irrigation to lift gross domestic product.
“We have been talking about agriculture for far too long but the whole mantra is about how to increase productivity,” he said, referencing a recent foundation visit to Niger State.
He portrayed Nigeria as Africa’s “sleeping giant” — echoing Napoleon Bonaparte’s description of China — with the potential to eclipse major global economies if it harnesses modern technologies and optimizes resources.
Shettima assured the group of elevated collaboration, particularly in nutrition, which he said now enjoys top-level backing.
In his remarks, Menon, described the visit as a bid to align the foundation’s work with President Tinubu’s reform agenda. “Nigeria is going through a very remarkable moment led by the reformist vision of the President and the Vice President,” he said.
The foundation prioritizes slashing maternal and child mortality, eradicating infectious diseases and fostering inclusive growth, Menon added.
Nigeria, he noted, is pioneering efforts that could inform the global south.
