BEVERLY HILLS, January 20, (THEWILL) – Bill Gates, world richest man and Aliko Dangote, Nigeria’s richest man have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Governors from the Northern states to promote immunization in Nigeria.
Gates was instrumental to Nigeria’s removal from the list of polio endemic countries through his Bill amd Melinda Foundation.
Present at the event were Governors Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto State; Nasir el-Rufai, Kaduna State; Ibrahim Geidam, Yobe State; Kashim Shettima, Borno State and Jubrilla Bindow, Adamawa state.
Also present at the meeting, held on Wednesday in Kaduna were Saad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto; Muhammad Sanusi II, Emir of Kano and other traditional rulers to give their support for the planned expanded routine immunization programme.
Jean Gough, UNICEF Country Director, was grateful to Dangote and Gates for their presence and interest in the immunisation programme which according to him was yielding fruits.
Dangote group had earlier issued a statement that it would be with Gates in Kaduna to sign the MOU on immunisation.
“Today, we would be signing Routine Immunization MOUs with Borno, Yobe, Kaduna and Sokoto states with Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and USAID,” the group said.
Dangote had been appointed by President Muhhamadu Buhari, in December, to lead a committee of eminent Nigerians in rebuilding northeast Nigeria, which had hitherto been attacked by Boko Haram.
Story by David Oputah
