President Bola Tinubu has conferred Nigeria’s national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, announced this through his Facebook page on Tuesday.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Lagos on Tuesday night conferred the National Honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) on billionaire Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and founder of Bill Gates Foundation. Photo: State House,” Onanuga wrote.
The CFR title is one of Nigeria’s highest national honours awarded to individuals in recognition of exceptional service to the nation.
Gates, Chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is currently on a working visit to Africa, with stops in Ethiopia and Nigeria.
During a speech at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, the billionaire reaffirmed his foundation’s long-term commitment to Africa.
He also revealed that the bulk of his recent $200bn pledge will be invested in the continent over the next two decades.
Gates said that the funds would target key areas including primary healthcare, artificial intelligence (AI) in health systems, and youth-led innovation.
He urged African governments to accelerate health and development through innovation and collaboration.
