Nigeria’s government is spending too little on healthcare to solve the country’s serious health challenges, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said during a media roundtable on Wednesday.
Gates, who is the chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, warned that without greater investment in the health sector, Nigeria will struggle to reduce high maternal and child mortality rates. He said he has already discussed the issue with President Bola Tinubu, urging the government to allocate more funding to healthcare.
“Well, the amount of money Nigeria spends on health care is very, very small,” Gates said. “I don’t know why you would have expected that number (maternal mortality) to go down.”
He explained that when women deliver babies at home, some complications can’t be handled without proper medical care. Gates gave the example of India, where most childbirths are moved to health centres equipped to carry out cesarean sections. “But that takes money,” he noted.
In February, Nigeria’s National Assembly increased the 2025 health sector budget by N300 billion. This brought the total to N2.48 trillion, which is just 5.18 percent of the national budget—still well below the recommended level for a country facing widespread health issues.
Gates was also asked if his foundation would cover the funding gaps left by recent cuts from the U.S. government, which has historically been a major contributor to global health efforts. He said it’s not possible.
“The problem with the Gates Foundation is we don’t have some special bucket of money,” he explained. “My money is not extra money… if others increase or disappear, I still spend the same amount.”
He expressed frustration over declining health funding from the U.S., Germany, and the UK. “We have like a 40% decrease from Germany and the UK,” he said, blaming it on increased spending on Ukraine and aging populations.
Gates warned that these cuts will lead to more deaths from HIV, malaria, and pregnancy-related complications. “There’s no denying that that money was being well spent. And there’s no alternate source that matches up,” he said.
In May, Gates said he plans to give away most of his $200 billion fortune in the next 20 years, with a large share going to Africa.
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