Bill Gates: I have a lot in common with Dangote — he’s been an invaluable partner

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says Aliko Dangote has been an “invaluable partner” for many years.

In a note posted on his blog, the Microsoft co-founder said his non-profit and Dangote Foundation have worked together “on issues like malnutrition, food fortification, and polio” in Nigeria.

Gates was journaling about his latest visit to Nigeria and Niger.

“I’ve been lucky to call Aliko Dangote a friend for many years. We have a ton in common: Both of us started successful businesses, and then, for our second acts in life, we chose to start foundations aimed at improving health and education,” he wrote.

“I got to spend lots of time with him this week, and it’s always super fun to catch up with him in person. He’s been an invaluable partner to our foundation over the years—especially in his native Nigeria—working together on issues like malnutrition, food fortification, and polio.”

During the visit to Nigeria, Gates, alongside Dangote, met with President Bola Tinubu. He also met governors and traditional rulers, including the Sultan of Sokoto, and urged governments to deal with challenges facing the health system.

In 2019, Gates described himself as “lucky” for having Dangote as a friend.

At the time, he narrated how they met and hit it off from their first conversation.

“Have you ever met someone new and immediately felt like you could talk to them for hours? That happened the first time I met Aliko Dangote. A couple of years ago, he and I ended up going to the same event in New York,” Gates wrote.

“A mutual friend suggested that I meet him because he knew we were both super interested in global health. So we made sure to sit next to each other at dinner.

“As soon as we shook hands, it was clear we had a ton in common. We both started successful businesses in the late 1970s. For our second act in life, we both chose to start foundations aimed at improving health and education.”