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Bill Gates, the Chairman of Bill and Melinda Gates foundation has called for innovative funding to enable the Nigerian government sustain health programmes and policies that assist vaccine financing in Nigeria.
Bill Gates made the disclosure during a courtesy call on Nigeria’s Minister of Financing, Kemi Adeosun,as he seeks further support for his pet project on health projects and Vaccine financing supports.
According to Bill Gates,innovative financing will assist the Nigerian government do proper mapping of health projects that requires short to mid term and long term financing.
“We are doing over $1 billion programme in health and vaccine financing and we are determined to sustain such programme working with Dangote foundation and address concerns of vaccine financing.”Bill Gates said.
We are also looking at vaccine financing, while also lending our support to ensure that the government financing improve over time and targets health needs which invariably improves financial inclusion.
In her response,Kemi Adeosun,the Minister of Finance said innovative financial thinking being canvassed for by Bill Gates’ foundation is very important.
She acknowledged that Nigeria’s transition from low income country to middle income country is a statistical issue,pointing out that there is need to upscale the standard of living of people through financial inclusion.
As a government we are committed to solving our own problem and there is enough potential revenue to funding health and education priorities in the country”
She acknowledged that Tax to GDP ratio is low,noting that the federal government is determined to improve the revenue to meet government’s education and health priority needs.
“We are encouraging people to come into tax nets,and high net worth people to pay more so that we could depend less on the donor funding and moving closer to innovative financing which would facilitate our financial inclusion”Adeosun said.
HARRISON EDEH, ABUJA
