SEATTLE, USA — Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates announced plans to give away nearly all of his $113 billion fortune over the next two decades, a move that will see the eventual closure of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world’s largest charitable organisations.
In a personal article published on his blog GatesNotes, Mr Gates declared, “I will give away virtually all my wealth through the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years to the cause of saving and improving lives around the world.”
The American tech mogul and co-founder of Microsoft stated that the foundation, which has shaped global health and development efforts for more than two decades, will cease operations at the end of 2045.
“And on December 31, 2045, the foundation will close its doors permanently,” he wrote.
Mr Gates noted that his remaining wealth will be focused on “improving public health and productivity and supporting vulnerable groups,” explaining, “There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources that could be used to help people.”
Since its founding in 2000, the Gates Foundation has invested billions of dollars in global health, education, and poverty alleviation.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has been a significant beneficiary.
According to foundation data, over $2.8 billion has been committed to Nigeria — the largest investment made by the foundation in any African nation.
The foundation has funded critical health programmes in the country, supporting polio eradication, maternal and child health, malaria prevention, and nutrition.
In the last quarter of 2024 alone, it donated $5.6 million for flood relief, healthcare, and agricultural initiatives.
In 2022, a $7 billion pledge was made for Nigeria and other African countries.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation gave $1 million to support Nigeria’s response and later granted $2 million to the Nigerian Governors Forum.
Speaking on Nigeria’s significance to his philanthropic agenda, Mr Gates previously said, “That makes sense because of the population and the incredible needs that are here. That means that I’ve literally spent billions in Nigeria. I’m glad that things like the child mortality rate have come down, but we could do a lot better.”
In his recent post, he reaffirmed that the foundation’s top priorities include reducing health inequality and eliminating diseases such as measles, malaria, and polio — a mission that will guide its operations until its closure.
