President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confers National Honour on American billionaire businessman, Bill Gates, saying it is an inspiration to other leaders
On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, President Bola Tinubu said in Lagos that Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft and Chairman of the Bill Gates Foundation, inspires leaders worldwide by consistently lifting the poor and underprivileged. To acknowledge such global impact by Gates, president Tinubu conferred a prestigious national honour on the American.
In a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesman, Tinubu, who conferred a national honour of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on Gates, noted that the renowned philanthropist’s interventions in maternal health, agriculture and infectious disease research are felt in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.
President Tinubu thanked Gates for providing global leadership that prioritises ameliorating the lives and safety of the poor and underprivileged.
According to Tinubu, “Today, I would like to share my happiness and respect and acknowledge one of the greatest human beings in the world.
“All I need to say is thank you, Bill Gates, for your indivisible commitment to humanity. It is highly remarkable. It is an inspiration to leaders across the world, including the one standing before you.
“I thank you very much. It is a great thing to honour you as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Health and Social Development, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said Mr Gates’s recognition was well deserved, considering his long-term involvement in Nigeria’s national development.
He said, “Bill Gates’ friend, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has been working with him to transform lives across the country. From that time until now, the Gates Foundation and through other channels have invested more than $2 billion of its capital in various arenas that directly affect our people, whether in health care, agriculture, or the digital economy.
“Importantly, when he came into Northern Nigeria, there were challenges with immunisation, people refusing because of ignorance, and with Mr Gates and Alhaji Aliko, they mobilised the entire traditional ruler’s committee”.
Responding to the award, Gates said he was honoured by the conferment of the CFR by the President.
“I am very happy to receive the honour for myself and the incredible team at the Foundation. From the beginning, the Foundation’s goal was to support improving Nigeria’s health sector.
“Nigeria had some ambitious goals for improving health, and three people here today are great champions of that cause. Of course, the President is making health a priority. Pate, we’ve worked together to handle great challenges, including the incredible progress on polio.
“Then, Dangote, I got to know, and we have done great work together. So, in the 25 years in Nigeria, we have achieved a lot. As was mentioned, the child death rate has gone down, and that’s because new vaccines were received to boost our efforts.
“Much work was done to increase the coverage and get vaccines to every child”.
Gates said the effort to eradicate polio was one of the Foundation’s toughest. A lot was learnt, and partnerships were built with traditional institutions. He said the Foundation had already rolled out HPB vaccines to reduce the 7,000 annual deaths of women from cervical cancer.
He said a single dose of the vaccine taken by girls ages 9-14 could give them lifetime protection. “Nigeria achieved a better result than any other country in getting out the vaccine to young girls,” he noted.
