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Bill Gates highlights Nigeria’s potential to transform agriculture, health
By Francesca Hangeior.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) has highlighted Nigeria’s potential to significantly increase its agricultural output, which the foundation described as a transformative opportunity for the country.
Bill Gates, Philanthropist and co-chair of, the Foundation, said this on Tuesday in Abuja, at the 2024 NutriVision, a Pan African dialogue to discuss innovative solutions to combating malnutrition in Africa.
Gates said that with the right investments in agricultural productivity and healthcare, Nigeria could achieve food security and also become a net food exporter, contributing to economic growth and improved public health.
He pointed out the immense potential for Nigeria to more than double its food output, which would be a game-changer for the nation.
He noted that such a shift would alleviate the need to use scarce foreign currency reserves to import food, particularly given the current exchange rate challenges.
“There is the opportunity for Nigeria to more than double its food output, which would be pretty transformative because it would mean that you would be a net food exporter.
“Nigeria could bring in revenue by exporting food, boosting the economy and improving the livelihoods of those in rural and Northern areas,” he said.
The philanthropist emphasised the importance of embracing digital approach and utilising better seeds to spark what he termed “agricultural miracles.”
He explained that improving agricultural productivity was crucial for addressing equity, empowering women, and tackling nutrition issues in Nigeria.
He called for a concerted effort to implement these solutions, which would not only enhance food security but also contribute to broader social and economic development.
Gates also discussed the crucial role of healthcare in Nigeria’s development, noting that the government must prioritise health as part of its broader strategy.
He highlighted the need for Nigeria to increase government funding for health and education, supported by improved tax collection.
“The actual tax collection in Nigeria is pretty low. As citizens develop confidence in well-run programmes, they will support increased funding for essential services, “he said.
He underscored the importance of efficient primary healthcare systems, where resources are allocated wisely, and services are delivered effectively.
“Our foundation’s involved with a lot of the exemplars that are showing the way in terms of making sure the money is spent well.
“We are running a very efficient primary health care system where the employees are doing great work, the centres are where they should be, you do not have underloaded centres or overloaded centres,” he said.
He expressed optimism that these efforts would enhance the credibility of health programmes, encouraging citizens to prioritise and advocate for better funding of primary healthcare.
Nigerian-American singer, David Adedeji Adeleke popularly known as Davido has commended Nigerian businessman Aliko Mohammed Dangote for his style of living.
According to him, the owner of Dangote cement is a different kind of billionaire.
He said unlike other billionaires who always buy luxury cars and show off, Mr. Aliko buys two cars every 8 years.
Speaking in an interview, Davido stated that the businessman always tells him to save his money.
“Uncle Aliko is a different kind of a billionaire, Uncle Aliko buys like two cars every 8 years. He is different ” Davido said.
“Anytime he sees me he just says one thing, save your money. There is nothing more he tells me than save your money.” He added.
Amid growing confusion fueled by viral social media posts and reports, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has clarified that it has not banned airtime borrowing or data advance services in Nigeria.
It described the reports as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Friday on its official X handle, the Commission clarified that it has not issued any directive prohibiting consumers from accessing lawful telecom value-added services.
It stressed that airtime borrowing and data advance services remain available, and any suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate.
The FCCPC explained that the confusion arose following regulatory measures introduced in July 2025 under the DEON Consumer Lending Regulations.
”The Commission has not prohibited airtime borrowing or data advance services, and no directive was issued preventing consumers from accessing lawful telecom value-added services,” the statement read in parts.
According to the Commission, the framework was established after a surge in consumer complaints relating to opaque charges, unexplained deductions, aggressive recovery practices, poor disclosure standards, and weak accountability in parts of the digital lending and advance-services market.
Rather than banning services, the regulations were designed to promote fairness and transparency by requiring operators to register properly, disclose fees and terms clearly, adopt responsible lending practices, and provide accessible channels for consumer complaints.
It noted that these measures are intended to strengthen consumer protection, improve service quality, and boost confidence in the market.
It further revealed that some telecom operators had engaged in exclusionary third-party arrangements in violation of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, limiting competition within the sector.
The new regulations, it said, are aimed at opening up the market to both local and international participants in line with free market principles.
”The primary aim is to promote a fairer and more transparent system by mandating proper registration, responsible lending conduct, clear disclosure of fees and terms, accessible consumer complaint channels, data protection safeguards, stronger accountability for third-party partners, and effective regulatory oversight.”
The FCCPC stated that operators were initially given a 90-day compliance period to align with the new framework, which was later extended to January 5, 2026.
Despite this extension, some operators failed to regularise their services within the stipulated timeframe and continued operating models that had long generated consumer complaints.
According to the Commission, any temporary suspension or restriction of airtime borrowing or data advance services should be understood as a business or compliance decision by the operators involved, not a ban imposed by the regulator.
It added that attributing such disruptions to regulatory action is misleading, especially when operators had sufficient time to comply.
The Commission also warned against what it described as deliberate attempts by vested interests to spread disinformation and undermine efforts to create a fair and transparent market
It urged Nigerians to disregard false narratives and rely on accurate information regarding the status of telecom services.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the release of results for 632,788 candidates who participated in the first day of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), held on Thursday.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, on Friday.
According to the Board, candidates can now access their results by sending “UTMERESULT” via SMS to either 55019 or 66019, using the same phone number registered during the examination process.
At this stage, only result viewing is available, as printing of result slips has not yet been enabled.
JAMB emphasised that the UTME exercise is still ongoing, adding that additional batches of results will be released progressively as marking and processing continue.
The Board also issued a stern warning against any attempts to manipulate or falsify results.
It cautioned candidates against altering SMS messages received from its official platforms to misrepresent their scores to others, including parents and guardians.
Describing such actions as a serious criminal offence, JAMB disclosed that it has already taken action against offenders. “Two candidates and one parent are currently in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement revealed.
The Board reiterated that anyone found guilty of such misconduct would face the full weight of the law.
JAMB urged candidates to adhere strictly to official channels and maintain integrity throughout the examination process, as it continues efforts to ensure a credible and transparent admissions system in Nigeria.
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