News in brief:
– Bill Gates has pledged to increase the Gates Foundation’s investment in agriculture across Africa, especially Nigeria, to boost food production and fight malnutrition.
– He emphasised the need for innovation and technology to help farmers improve yields, reduce food prices, and make Nigeria a food-exporting nation.
The Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, has announced plans to increase funding for agricultural projects across Africa, with a key focus on Nigeria. Gates emphasised that Nigeria should be exporting food rather than importing it, calling for a transformation in the country’s agricultural productivity.
Currently, the Gates Foundation dedicates 8% of its global spending to agriculture, but the billionaire revealed this could rise to 12–14%, with a strong focus on innovations that directly benefit farmers and consumers.
Key initiatives include improved seed varieties, enhanced livestock genetics, and advanced soil testing tools—all designed to increase crop yields and reduce food prices.
Gates highlighted the foundation’s work with cassava and poultry farming through local partners like AMO Farms. Their genetically improved chickens produce twice the meat and eggs compared to traditional breeds.
“This helps increase women’s income and fights malnutrition by making protein more accessible,” Gates explained. “In Ethiopia, these innovations have already reduced the cost of eggs by two-thirds.”
For Nigerian farmers, this increased investment means better access to technology, training, and farming inputs like high-yield seeds and affordable fertilisers. These advances could significantly increase income, reduce food waste, and improve food security.
Consumers also stand to gain, as innovations aim to reduce food prices and improve nutrition. Gates pointed out that food inflation, worse than any other form of inflation, disproportionately affects the poor and must be tackled through higher productivity.
Calling on Nigerian scientists and policymakers, Gates urged a national embrace of agricultural technology. “Nigeria’s yield per acre is just a quarter of what it could be. With the right tools and support, Nigeria can feed itself—and others,” he said.
