Eric Patrick
Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has raised alarm over Nigeria’s low healthcare spending, warning that the country’s current health budget is grossly inadequate to tackle its growing public health crises.
Speaking during a media roundtable in Lagos on Wednesday, Gates stated that Nigeria’s investment in healthcare, both in percentage of GDP and actual figures, remains too small to address critical challenges such as maternal mortality, child malnutrition, and poor access to primary care.
“When you look at the numbers, the amount Nigeria spends on healthcare is very, very small,” Gates said. “You can’t address systemic crises with insufficient funding.”
Gates, who was recently honoured with the national title of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) by President Bola Tinubu, emphasized that the country’s healthcare system cannot depend on external donors to fill funding gaps.
“We can assist as partners, but the foundation of a functioning health system must be built and maintained by the government,” he said.
He warned that relying on foreign aid is unsustainable, especially amid shifting global economic trends and geopolitical uncertainty, which are already straining global health financing.
Despite pockets of progress in states like Lagos and Kano—particularly in areas like immunisation and family planning—Gates noted that Nigeria’s overall healthcare spending remains far below the level needed for meaningful impact.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has worked in Nigeria for over a decade, continues to support initiatives targeting maternal health, nutrition, and vaccine access. Gates highlighted innovations such as affordable bleeding control kits, micronutrient supplements, and low-cost ultrasound devices designed to identify high-risk pregnancies.
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He also mentioned a recent clinical trial on anaemia and postpartum haemorrhage treatments that showed such strong results, the trial was concluded early. These innovations, he said, have the potential to drastically reduce maternal deaths when scaled across the country.
On vaccines, Gates reiterated the foundation’s efforts to drive down prices, noting that the cost of rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines has dropped from $60 to just $2 due to their advocacy.
The foundation is also backing new technologies like needle-free vaccine patches to simplify delivery and improve immunisation rates, especially in remote areas.
While Gates acknowledged a 40% year-on-year drop in polio cases in Nigeria, he cautioned that immunisation rates in the northern regions remain dangerously low.
“We’re not at 90% coverage yet,” he said, urging state governors to ramp up commitment to vaccination efforts.
Looking ahead, Gates said he remains hopeful:
“Over time, with economic growth, innovation, and some restoration, if you take the five-to-20-year period, I would be very optimistic about these things.”