Gates foundation formally registered in Nigeria as International NGO
The Federal Government and the Gates Foundation on
Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the
participation of non-governmental organizations in reducing poverty and
improving agriculture in Nigeria.
The Foundation’s director for Africa, Laurie Lee said that the agreement will make it imperative for the government to provide an office for the country representative of the organization.
According to him, the foundation’s representative in Nigeria will directly ensure the implementation of BGF objectives which includes fighting polio, providing family planning support, HIV/AIDS treatment and promoting agricultural development.
“The Gates Foundation is about helping families throughout the world live healthy and productive lives, particularly in developing countries,” Mr Lee said.
He said the organisation have worked in Nigeria for a long time “particularly in areas of health like polio, HIV, malaria, child and mother health as well as in agriculture.
“By signing this agreement today and agreeing that we would have a country representative on the ground in Nigeria, we think that we would be able to work much closely with the government and our partners here in Nigeria to be even more effective on the ground,” he added.
On his part, the Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman said that the support provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation will assist the federal government achieve its transformation agenda and the vision 2020.
“Nigeria being such a big and important country, they need to be formally represented here and they’ve sent in their application which we have processed. Though it took some time because it has to go through the due process and they have succeeded. Today we sign the Memorandum of Understanding that now formally registers them as an international NGO in Nigeria,” the minister said
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| Gates visits the Bini Community Health Post, in Sokoto in February; the community is one of those combating the polio disease in Nigeria. |
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The Foundation’s director for Africa, Laurie Lee said that the agreement will make it imperative for the government to provide an office for the country representative of the organization.
According to him, the foundation’s representative in Nigeria will directly ensure the implementation of BGF objectives which includes fighting polio, providing family planning support, HIV/AIDS treatment and promoting agricultural development.
“The Gates Foundation is about helping families throughout the world live healthy and productive lives, particularly in developing countries,” Mr Lee said.
He said the organisation have worked in Nigeria for a long time “particularly in areas of health like polio, HIV, malaria, child and mother health as well as in agriculture.
“By signing this agreement today and agreeing that we would have a country representative on the ground in Nigeria, we think that we would be able to work much closely with the government and our partners here in Nigeria to be even more effective on the ground,” he added.
On his part, the Minister of National Planning, Shamsudeen Usman said that the support provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation will assist the federal government achieve its transformation agenda and the vision 2020.
“Nigeria being such a big and important country, they need to be formally represented here and they’ve sent in their application which we have processed. Though it took some time because it has to go through the due process and they have succeeded. Today we sign the Memorandum of Understanding that now formally registers them as an international NGO in Nigeria,” the minister said
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