President Bola Tinubu has conferred the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, in recognition of his longstanding contributions to Nigeria’s health, development, and innovation sectors.
The honour, bestowed during a private ceremony in Lagos, celebrates the Gates Foundation’s over $2.8 billion investment in Nigeria, its largest in Africa, supporting initiatives in child and maternal health, agriculture, disease eradication, and poverty reduction. Gates expressed gratitude, noting significant progress in Nigeria’s health outcomes, including lower child mortality and wider vaccine coverage.
The event coincided with the signing of a new $7.5 million deal between the Foundation and the Nigerian government to launch an AI Scaling Hub aimed at accelerating digital innovation in healthcare, agriculture, and education.
Notable figures including Aliko Dangote and Health Minister Muhammad Pate attended, underscoring the collaboration between public and private sectors in shaping Nigeria’s development future.
