Nigeria tax collection rate too low – Bill Gates

September 4, 2024

Bill Gates, wey be co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, don talk say Nigeria no dey collect tax well, and e dey make am hard to fund important sectors like health and education.

Gates talk this one for Abuja on Tuesday during Nutrivision 2024, a Pan-African youth nutrition dialogue. As The Cable report, Gates reply question about how dem fit get money to fund big public health projects.

“Over time, dem get plans say Nigeria go dey fund government pass wetin e dey do now. The actual tax collection for Nigeria dey very low.

“If citizens wan better education and health, as dem dey develop confidence say these programmes go dey well run, and our foundation dey involved with plenty examples wey dey show how to make sure say the money dey well spent, run very efficient primary health care system where the workers dey do better work, the centres dey where dem suppose dey, you no go get centres wey get too much work or centres wey no get enough work,” the billionaire talk.

The philanthropist talk say for people to trust government say dem fit provide better healthcare, dem must commit to good management of health programme funds. Gates emphasize say e important to maintain effective primary healthcare system wey get well-placed and well-staffed facilities.

E talk say if people trust health-care programs more, e go make dem fit get more money to fund basic healthcare well. “E dey exciting say we dey drive the credibility of those health programmes so that the citizens go feel say primary health care dey among the priorities wey suppose get better funding as money dey come in,” e add.

Gates also get hope say Nigeria fit increase agricultural output well well, say the country fit change from food importer to big food exporter. E emphasize say better finance facilities, complete soil studies, and good advice for farmers dey very important to make this change happen.

E talk say, “Nigeria today dey import food, but with the geography, if the right credit facilities and advice for farmers, soil surveys, dey available, Nigeria fit more than double food output, and e go change things well well, because e go mean say you go dey export food instead of using scarce dollars, especially with the current exchange rate, to buy food, you go dey bring dollars in.”

E talk say agricultural output, especially for rural and northern areas, dey important to raise income. The billionaire also talk say if Nigeria fit use digital technologies and adopt new seed types, e fit spark agricultural “miracle” wey go improve the economy and also address equity and nutrition problems for the country.