Bill Gates To Visit Nigeria Over Polio Eradication

Sokoto — Sokoto State Health Commissioner, Dr. Jabbi Kilgore, has disclosed that world leading computer mogul, Mr Bill Gates, would visit Nigeria on February 1, 2009 .

Gates is expected to visit Sokoto State during a two-day personal visit to Nigeria aimed at strengthening ongoing efforts to totally eradicate the wild polio virus from the country .

Kilgori disclosed this in Sokoto at the meeting of the state's taskforce on polio and routine immunisations.

"The visit is part of Gates' sustained multi billion dollar contributions to boost health care delivery across the globe ,"he stated.

According to the commissioner, the itinerary of the visit showed that the multi billionaire businessman and one-time richest man in the world would on the first day, visit Sokoto where he is billed to meet the Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, Sultan of Sokoto, Dr Saád Abubakar III and other prominent northern Emirs.

He will on the same day visit the Arkilla PHC to have a first-hand knowledge of the efforts to eradicate polio and other health related issues .
On the second day, he is expected to meet President Umaru Yar'Adua, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and the members of the Northern Governors' Forum, all in Abuja .

Kilgori added that the state government had since set up a high powered committee to ensure the success of the visit which is very crucial to the healthcare delivery systems of Nigeria .

It was also reliably gathered that Gates had set aside over $4 billion in aid of polio eradication efforts in four countries where the disease was still prevalent including Nigeria.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200901261437.html