Bill Gates Calls For Increased Tax Collection To Boost Funding For Key Sectors In Nigeria

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and philanthropist, has highlighted the low tax collection in Nigeria as a significant challenge in adequately funding critical sectors like health and education. Speaking on Tuesday at a Pan-African youth dialogue on nutrition in Abuja, Gates emphasized the need for increased government funding to improve these essential services.

Gates noted that for Nigerian citizens to trust the government’s ability to deliver quality healthcare, there must be a commitment to effectively manage the funding of health programs. He stressed that Nigeria’s current tax collection is “pretty low” and that improving tax revenue would provide the government with the financial flexibility needed to prioritize sectors such as education and health.

“Over time, there are plans for Nigeria to fund the government more than it does today,” Gates said. “As citizens develop confidence in well-run health and education programs, they’ll see the importance of funding these areas properly.”

His remarks followed a proposal by Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, to increase Nigeria’s value-added tax (VAT) from 7.5% to 10%. Oyedele highlighted the country’s broader fiscal challenges, emphasizing the need for reforms to address revenue shortfalls.

Gates’ visit to Nigeria aimed to discuss solutions to various development challenges, including health, agriculture, and poverty reduction, as well as boosting nutrition in Africa.