Bill Gates, the American billionaire and co-founder of Microsoft, announced on Tuesday that most of the $200 billion endowment from his philanthropic Gates Foundation will be dedicated to Africa over the next 20 years. Speaking at the African Union headquarters, Gates emphasized his commitment to addressing the continent’s health and development challenges through innovation and partnerships.
“I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa,” Gates told African leaders, diplomats, and health workers.
He stressed that investing in primary healthcare, especially maternal health and early childhood nutrition, yields the greatest benefits for wellbeing.
Gates highlighted countries like Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe as examples of strong leadership fostering innovation.
The Gates Foundation has already established offices in Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal to strengthen local partnerships.
This announcement comes amid reductions in U.S. foreign aid to Africa, including cuts to HIV/AIDS programs. Gates’ foundation has been a major player in global health, contributing to over 100 innovations that have saved more than 80 million lives.
The foundation focuses on reducing childhood and maternal deaths, advancing vaccines for infectious diseases such as malaria and HIV, and fighting poverty.
Gates urged other wealthy individuals to increase their philanthropic efforts. “What am I going to do? Just buy a bunch of boats or something? This money should go back to society in the way that it has the best chance of causing something positive to happen,” he said.
During his visit, Gates plans to meet with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss artificial intelligence and healthcare reform.
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