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Bill Gates to Spend Majority of $200 Billion Pledge on Africa’s Future

At the end of 20 years, the foundation will sunset its operations.

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ADDIS ABABA (June 2, 2025 :

In an address today in Nelson Mandela Hall at the African Union, Gates Foundation Chair Bill Gates , announced that the majority of his $200 billion spending over the next 20 years will go to Africa with a focus on partnering with governments that prioritize the health and well-being of their people.

Gates therefore urged African leaders to seize the moment to accelerate progress in health and development through innovation and partnership, despite current headwinds.

“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.”

Addressing over 12,000 government officials, diplomats, health workers, development partners, and youth leaders in person and online, he underscored the critical role of African leadership and ingenuity in driving the continent’s health and economic future.

“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,” Gates said.

Following his address, Gates joined Paulin Basinga, the foundation’s Africa director, in a fireside chat to discuss Africa’s development agenda and the investments and partnerships needed to drive future progress.

From Addis Ababa, Gates will travel to Nigeria, where he will meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and engage with federal and state leaders to discuss Nigeria’s primary health care reforms.

Calls for collaboration and shared responsibility were delivered by prominent African leaders, including Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization, and Amina J. Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the United Nations.

Renowned advocate for women and children, Mrs. Graça Machel, described the current situation as “a moment of crisis” and emphasized the importance of enduring partnerships in Africa’s development journey.

“Mr Gates’ long-standing partnership with Africa reflects a deep understanding of these challenges and a respect for African leadership, ideas and innovation,” she said.

“We are counting on Mr Gates’ steadfast commitment to continue walking this path of transformation alongside us.”

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that Africa’s health progress is a result of strong government leadership, resilient communities, and partnerships that deliver results.Gates called for prioritizing primary healthcare, emphasizing that “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.”

Gates highlighted how countries like Ethiopia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia are showing what’s possible when bold leadership harnesses innovation.

From expanding frontline health services and using data to cut child mortality to deploying advanced tools against malaria and HIV, and safeguarding primary healthcare despite fiscal strain—these country-led efforts are driving scalable, homegrown progress.

Reflecting on more than two decades of engagement on the continent, Gates said, “I’ve always been inspired by the hard work of Africans even in places with very limited resources.”

He added, “The kind of fieldwork to get solutions out, even in the most rural areas, has been incredible.”Gates spoke about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, noting its relevance for the continent’s future.

He praised Africa’s young innovators, saying he was “seeing young people in Africa embracing this, and thinking about how it applies to the problems that they want to solve.”

Drawing a parallel to the continent’s mobile banking revolution, he added, “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 pointed to Rwanda as an early example of this promise, noting, “Rwanda is using AI to improve service delivery. E.g. AI-enabled ultrasound, to identify high-risk pregnancies earlier, helping women receive timely, potentially life-saving care.”

In Ethiopia and Nigeria this week, Gates will see first-hand the state of health and development priorities in the wake of foreign aid cuts, and he will affirm his and the foundation’s commitment to supporting Africa’s progress in health and development over the next 20 years.

“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.”While in Ethiopia, Gates met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and heard how Ethiopia is sustaining the momentum on critical reforms, expanding essential services, and remaining resilient amid shifting global aid dynamics.

Gates also took part in a roundtable with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute on the country’s iodine-folic acid double-fortified salt initiative.

From Addis Ababa, Gates will travel to Nigeria, where he will meet with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and engage with federal and state leaders to discuss Nigeria’s primary health care reforms.

He will also participate in a Goalkeepers Nigeria event focused on Africa’s innovation future and meet with local scientists and partners shaping Nigeria’s national AI strategy and scaling up health solutions.

Gates’s trip follows the foundation’s historic announcement on May 8 that it would spend $200 billion over the next 20 years to advance progress on saving and improving lives and Gates’ commitment to giving away virtually all of his wealth to the foundation in that timeframe.

Over the next two decades, the foundation will work together with its partners to make as much progress as possible towards three primary goals: end preventable deaths of moms and babies; ensure the next generation grows up without having to suffer from deadly infectious diseases; and lift millions of people out of poverty, putting them on a path to prosperity.

At the end of 20 years, the foundation will sunset its operations. Over the last two decades, the Gates Foundation has worked alongside African partners to save lives, develop vaccines, and strengthen systems.

It has helped catalyze more than 100 innovations and contributed to saving more than 80 million lives through Gavi and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.

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US Imposes 50% Tariffs on India Over Russian Oil Imports

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US tariffs of 50 per cent took effect on Wednesday on many Indian products, doubling an existing duty as President Donald Trump sought to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil.

India has criticised the levies as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”, with its export body calling on Wednesday for government intervention to assuage fears of heavy job cuts.

Trump has raised pressure on India over the energy transactions, a key source of revenue for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, as part of a campaign to end the conflict.

The latest salvo strains US-India ties, giving New Delhi fresh incentive to improve relations with Beijing.

While Trump has slapped fresh duties on allies and competitors alike since returning to the presidency in January, this 50-per cent level is among the highest that US trading partners face.

Crucially, however, exemptions remain for sectors that could be hit with separate levies — such as pharmaceuticals, computer chips and smartphones.

Industries that have already been singled out, such as steel, aluminium and automobiles, are similarly spared these countrywide levies.

The United States was India’s top export destination in 2024, with shipments worth $87.3 billion.

But analysts have cautioned that a 50-per cent duty is akin to a trade embargo and is likely to harm smaller firms.

Exporters of textiles, seafood and jewellery were already reporting cancelled US orders and losses to rivals such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, raising fears of heavy job cuts.

Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, called for “liquidity support from the government”.

“We want to ensure that even if business stops, we are able to keep workers on the payroll”, he told AFP, saying they were “still optimistic” for trade negotiations.

– ‘Eroded trust’ –

The world’s fifth-largest economy is looking to cushion the blow, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi promising to lower the tax burden on citizens during an annual speech to mark India’s independence.

Modi earlier vowed self-reliance, pledging to defend his country’s interests.

The foreign ministry previously said India had begun importing oil from Russia as traditional supplies were diverted to Europe over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It noted that Washington actively encouraged such imports at the time to strengthen stability in the global energy market.

Russia accounted for nearly 36 percent of India’s total crude oil imports in 2024. Buying Russian oil saved India billions of dollars on import costs, keeping domestic fuel prices relatively stable.

But the Trump administration held firm on its tariff plans in the lead-up to Wednesday’s deadline.

Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters last week that “India doesn’t appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed.”

“It’s cozying up to Xi Jinping,” Navarro added, referring to the Chinese president.

Wendy Cutler, from the Asia Society Policy Institute, said India had moved from being “a promising candidate for an early trade deal to a nation facing among the highest tariffs”

Cutler, a former US trade official, said the “high tariffs have quickly eroded trust between the two countries, which could take years to rebuild.

Trump has used tariffs as a tool for addressing everything from what Washington deems as unfair trade practices to trade imbalances.

US trade deficits were a key justification behind his higher duties on dozens of economies taking effect in early August — hitting partners from the European Union to Indonesia.

But the 79-year-old Republican has also taken aim at specific countries such as Brazil over the trial of its former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup.

US tariffs on many Brazilian goods surged to 50 per cent this month, but with broad exemptions.

AFP

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Abuja- Kaduna Train Derail: What Causes Train Derailments?

“Technical teams from the NRC, officials of the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, and other relevant agencies are already at the scene to determine the cause of the derailment and ensure preventive measures are put in place,” he said.

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Following Sunday’s Abuja to Kaduna train derail, Ohibaba.com fact-checks what causes train derailments?

Here are the factors:

Human Error

1. Operator error: Mistakes made by train operators, such as excessive speed or failure to follow safety protocols.

2. Maintenance negligence: Failure to properly maintain tracks, trains, or equipment.

Mechanical Failure

1. Track defects: Poorly maintained or damaged tracks can cause trains to derail.2. *Wheel or axle failure*: Mechanical failures in train wheels or axles can lead to derailment.

3. Brake failure: Failure of braking systems can cause trains to lose control and derail.

Environmental Factors

1. Weather conditions: Extreme weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or heat, can cause tracks to become damaged or unstable.

2. Natural disasters: Events like earthquakes, landslides, or floods can damage tracks or disrupt train operations.

Other Factors

Collisions: Collisions with other trains, vehicles, or objects can cause derailments.

2. Sabotage or vandalism: Intentional damage to tracks or trains can lead to derailments.

3. Design or manufacturing flaws

: Flaws in train or track design can contribute to derailments.Investigations into train derailments often involve analyzing these factors to determine the root cause of the incident.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced the suspension of train operations on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor following the derailment incident.

Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, said that services will remain suspended until investigations are concluded and safety is assured.

“Technical teams from the NRC, officials of the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, and other relevant agencies are already at the scene to determine the cause of the derailment and ensure preventive measures are put in place,” he said.

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BREAKING: NRC suspends Abuja-Kaduna train services after derailment

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The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has announced the suspension of train operations on the Abuja-Kaduna corridor following Sunday’s derailment incident.

Managing Director of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, confirmed the development during a press briefing in Abuja, stressing that services will remain suspended until investigations are concluded and safety is assured.

According to him, technical teams from the NRC, officials of the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, and other relevant agencies are already at the scene to determine the cause of the derailment and ensure preventive measures are put in place.

Opeifa dismissed speculations suggesting that the trains were poorly maintained, noting that the corporation has consistently adhered to safety standards.

He also disclosed that refunds have been processed for all passengers affected by the disruption.

The NRC boss also revealed that six passengers sustained minor injuries during the incident and have since received medical attention.

However, he explained that the total number of passengers on board at the time of the derailment was still being verified.

Meanwhile, the NSIB has formally opened an investigation into the incident as authorities work to restore safe and efficient rail services along the route.

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