Billionaire philanthropist and Gates Foundation Chair, Bill Gates, has announced that the majority of his $200 billion pledge set to be disbursed over the next 20 years will be directed toward Africa.
The announcement was made during a high-profile address to over 12,000 attendees at the African Union’s Nelson Mandela Hall in Addis Ababa on Monday.
Speaking to a crowd of government officials, diplomats, healthcare workers, development partners, and youth leaders, Gates urged African leaders to harness innovation and forge partnerships that put health and human development at the center of national priorities.
In a statement signed by Dr. Paulin Basinga, Africa Director of the Gates Foundation, the organisation reiterated its commitment to working alongside African governments that “prioritise the health and wellbeing of their people,” especially as the continent faces mounting challenges from shifting global aid dynamics and economic uncertainty.
Gates’ pledge marks one of the most significant financial commitments ever made to the continent and is intended to catalyse progress across health, education, and poverty reduction efforts.
During a fireside chat following his address, Gates emphasised that long-term investment and local leadership are key to sustained development.
Gates told attendees, “I recently made a commitment that my wealth will be given away over the next 20 years. The majority of that funding will be spent on helping you address challenges here in Africa. By unleashing human potential through health and education, every country in Africa should be on a path to prosperity – and that path is an exciting thing to be part of.”
Prominent African leaders echoed the call for deeper collaboration. World Trade Organization Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that Africa’s health progress stems from strong government leadership and resilient communities.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and longtime advocate for women and children Mrs. Graça Machel also joined the discussion, with Machel describing the current moment as “a crisis” that demands steadfast partnerships.
Machel said:“Mr. Gates’ long-standing partnership with Africa reflects a deep understanding of these challenges and a respect for African leadership, ideas, and innovation. We are counting on Mr. Gates’ steadfast commitment to continue walking this path of transformation alongside us.”
Gates placed particular emphasis on primary healthcare as the cornerstone of sustainable progress. “Investing in primary healthcare has the greatest impact on health and wellbeing.
“With primary healthcare, what we’ve learned is that helping the mother be healthy and have great nutrition before she gets pregnant, while she is pregnant, delivers the strongest results. Ensuring the child receives good nutrition in their first four years as well makes all the difference.”he said.
Countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique were highlighted as examples where bold leadership and homegrown solutions are yielding scalable outcomes from deploying AI-powered tools in healthcare to improving maternal and child health services in rural areas.
On his current trip, Gates is visiting Ethiopia and Nigeria to meet with national leaders, assess development priorities amid foreign aid cuts, and reaffirm his foundation’s presence on the continent.
In Ethiopia, he met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and joined discussions on the country’s iodine-folic acid fortified salt initiative. Later in Nigeria, he is scheduled to meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and participate in the Goalkeepers Nigeria event focused on innovation.
“Our foundation has an increasing commitment to Africa,” Gates said. “Our first African office was here in Ethiopia about 13 years ago. Now we have offices in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. That’s a great way for us to strengthen partnerships.”
Gates also praised Africa’s tech-savvy youth and drew parallels to the continent’s leap in mobile banking. He cited Rwanda’s use of AI-enabled ultrasound technology as a breakthrough in early pregnancy risk detection.
“Africa largely skipped traditional banking, and now you have a chance, as you build your next-generation healthcare systems, to think about how AI is built into that,” he said.
This tour follows the Gates Foundation’s historic May 8 announcement to spend $200 billion over the next two decades, with a mission to end preventable deaths of mothers and children, eradicate infectious diseases, and lift millions out of poverty.
The foundation plans to sunset its operations after this 20-year period.
Over the past two decades, the foundation has worked closely with African partners to strengthen health systems, roll out lifesaving vaccines, and support local innovation. It has contributed to saving more than 80 million lives through initiatives such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
