Mr. Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has asked the federal government to increase funding for fair solutions and the people who are developing them.
As part of the events surrounding his visit to Nigeria, he made this statement on Wednesday during the Pan-African Youth Innovation Forum in Lagos.
“Advancing Africa: Unleashing the Power of Youth in Science and Innovation” was the forum’s theme.
Gates highlighted that Nigeria is home to many smart individuals with great potential, but cautioned that if they lack access to the most fundamental necessities of life, it may be difficult for them to realize their full potential.
You might not be surprised to learn that the state and federal governments of Nigeria only provide $10 per person year for health care, compared to $31 for all of sub-Saharan Africa.
“Leaders must invest significantly more money, with a major focus on enhancing basic healthcare systems.
To improve health and opportunity and unleash all of Nigeria’s potential, he said, “it is absolutely essential to make sure clinics are well-staffed and supplied, making sure children get the vaccines they need, etc.”
Gates promised to discuss further investments in agricultural and digital finance systems with the government.
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He asserts that although Nigerian youths have demonstrated their enthusiasm for advancement, they must push their authorities to carry through on their promises.
“During my most recent visit to Nigeria in 2018, I discussed the prospects for growth in your nation with government officials.
This time, I wanted to talk to you, the upcoming generation of innovators in Nigeria.
“I have liked the sense of creating to make things a bit better for people—or a lot better—ever since I was a youngster, writing computer code on a terminal at my high school, and subsequently at Microsoft.
“I’m sure you can relate to this emotion.
“Due to the unprecedented potential of new technology, there will be numerous opportunities for you to keep changing the world.
“However, Nigerians are still dealing with a lot of the issues I discussed five years ago, including economic instability and security threats.
I’m very confident that your generation will persevere and make a difference in people’s lives in Nigeria and beyond, he remarked.
Gates asserted that young people with talent may significantly improve the world.
He asserted that Nigeria’s sizable youth population held a wealth of potential talents and a strong desire to tackle challenging issues.
The Gates Foundation has been working with some amazing Nigerians for years, and I met them yesterday.
In order to help farmers thrive in the face of climate change and produce crops free of pollutants, these experts are enhancing seeds, fertilizer, and biopesticides.
Additionally, he added, “I talked with a researcher who is scaling up a successful method to lower anemia in pregnant women.
According to Gates, education is the first step toward a solid support system for young people.
Nigeria, he said, had a solid foundation and some of the top scientific and educational institutions on the continent.
In order to spur development, he emphasized the need to close inequities in wages, health, and education.
Although he acknowledged that not everyone benefits equally from research and innovation, Gates stated his opinion that these factors can help people live long, healthy lives.
Equity must be prioritized, he argued, by those who are developing new discoveries, sponsoring them, and introducing them into the public.
According to the philanthropist, there are a lot of exciting new developments coming to the world that will enhance life in Nigeria.
“They’re going to stop infectious diseases, give moms and babies life-saving interventions, improve the nutritional value of food, and give women more practical contraception options.
Future applications of artificial intelligence (AI) will enable more people to access high-quality healthcare and education, he said.
Gates was excited about the potential of AI to save and improve lives, but he argued that this wouldn’t happen if monetary gain were the primary consideration.
Therefore, our foundation is considering what we can do to support AI development in ways that benefit everyone, not just the richest individuals in a select few wealthy nations, and to improve their lives and general well-being.
“The foundation has issued a call for suggestions, or what we like to refer to as a “Grand Challenge,” for creative, secure uses of big language models.
“Of the 1,300 suggestions we got, half were from Africa. In October, the winners will be declared in Senegal.
“We hope what emerges will help build an evidence base for advancing equitable outcomes in health and development everywhere in the world,” the speaker stated.
(NAN)