The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has indicated plans to boost primary healthcare and agriculture in Borno State and the rest of the Northeastern states of the country, was yesterday revealed.
Alhaji Isa Gusau, special adviser, Communications to Governor Kashim Shettima, in a statement, said the foundation established by the world’s richest man, Mr Bill Gates, on Sunday after a special appeal made by Borno State agreed to accord accelerated support to Borno State and the rest of the northeast on primary healthcare and agriculture.
It could be recalled that the foundation remains the world’s number one private body supporting global eradication of polio and other child killer diseases. It also support the Nitrogen for Africa project which is designed to ensure high yields in agriculture through soil technology and fertilizer improvement.
Shettima who is presently in United States for a symposium on counter-insurgency where he is expected to make presentations on security conditions in Borno State and it prospects, alongside his Bauchi State counterpart, Malam Isa Yuguda were at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Washington D.C on Sunday for three hours at a meeting chaired by the foundation’s President on Global Development, Dr Chris Elias.
At the meeting were other top officials of the foundation as well as representatives of the World Health Organisation and UNICEF among other stakeholders.
Shettima made a strong appeal for the foundation to step up support for Borno due to the State’s challenges as well as his government’s efforts on primary healthcare which was applauded by the foundation during its 2013 review of efforts by Nigerian Governments across the six geo-political zones.
Shettima appealed for Borno’s inclusion in the foundation’s Nitrogen fixation project that is aimed at supporting high yield in farming activities through a technology that improves soil fertility.
In his response at the end of the review meeting that placed emphasis on progresses, challenges and risks on global polio eradication, the President, Global Development of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Chris Elias made commitment that the foundation will step up support to Borno State.
Elias also commended the leadership qualities of Governor Shettima which resulted in the progresses recorded by his Government on primary healthcare.
It would be recalled that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had in 2013 selected Governor Kashim Shettima as the most committed Governor in the northeast on the area of primary healthcare while the World Health Organisation equally singled out Borno and awarded its Government for enhancing healthcare delivery.