Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, says tax collection in Nigeria is low.
Gates spoke while answering a question on financing
mechanisms the Nigerian government could adopt towards funding large-scale
public health interventions on Tuesday at the Nutrivision 2024, a Pan-African
youth dialogue on nutrition in Abuja.
He said the low tax collection poses a challenge to
adequately financing critical sectors such as health and education.
The philanthropist said for citizens to gain confidence in
the government’s ability to deliver quality healthcare, there must be a
commitment to ensure that the funding of health programmes is well-managed.
“Over time, there are plans for Nigeria to fund the government more than it does today. The actual tax collection in Nigeria is actually pretty low,” Gates said.
“If citizens want the education and the health things, as
they develop the confidence that these programmes can be very well run, and our
foundation is involved with a lot of the exemplars that are showing the way in
terms of making sure the money is spent really well, running a very efficient
primary health care system where the employees are doing great work, the
centres are where they should be, you don’t have underloaded centres or
overloaded centres.”
According to Gates, building credibility in health
programmes would encourage citizens to support increased funding for primary
healthcare as the country achieves greater fiscal flexibility.
“It’s exciting that we are driving the credibility of those
health programmes and so that the citizens will feel like primary health care
is amongst the priorities that should be very funded as you get some fiscal
flexibility,” he added.
‘THERE’S OPPORTUNITY FOR NIGERIA TO DOUBLE ITS FOOD OUTPUT’
The businessman expressed optimism about Nigeria’s potential
to significantly boost its agricultural output and transition from being a net
food importer to a major food exporter.
Gates said with the right support such as improved credit
facilities, comprehensive soil surveys, and effective advisory services for
farmers, Nigeria could more than double its food production.
He said the growth could have transformative effects on the
nation’s economy.
“Nigeria today is a net food importer and yet, given the
geography, if the right credit facilities and advice to farmers, soil surveys,
things are available, there is the opportunity for Nigeria to more than double
its food output, which would be pretty transformative, because it would mean
that you would be a net food exporter,” Gates said.
“Instead of having to use very scarce dollars, particularly
the current exchange rate to go buy food, you are actually bringing dollars
in.”
He said agricultural productivity, particularly in rural and
northern areas, is crucial for improving incomes.
The philanthropist also said by leveraging digital
technologies and adopting improved seed varieties, Nigeria could trigger an
agricultural “miracle,” which would not only benefit the country but also
address issues of equity and nutrition across the country.
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