On Thursday, November 17, 2022, the University of Nairobi and Africa.com organized a virtual discussion on “Innovating for Food Security and Climate Change in Africa”.
The University of Nairobi welcomed Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at the hybrid event. In addition to a virtual audience from all over the continent, the event also featured a live audience of 500 students from across all Nairobi universities.
Uduak Amimo, an African journalist working all over the world, moderated the live discussion from Nairobi, while the virtual audience was hosted by Teresa Clarke, the chair of Africa.com.
Discussions between Gates and college students were highlighted at the event with the theme "Innovating for Food Security and Climate Change in Africa."
The town hall formatted discussion, which lasted 60 minutes, concentrated on the potential problems related to food security and the effects of climate change in Africa. Additionally, it sought to draw attention to instances of African innovations that could fasten development.
Conversations regarding solutions for food security and climate change in Africa are especially pertinent nowadays since COP27, the United Nations conference on climate change is taking place on the continent. The effects of climate change have been endangering lives and livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa.
$7 billion to be invested in Africa
According to Bill Gates, over the next four years, his foundation will invest about $7 billion in Africa. He claimed that the funds will support solutions to get rid of poverty, gender inequity, sickness, and hunger.
In addition to the current funds that the Gates Foundation provides to multilateral organizations like Gavi and the Global Fund, the $7 billion contribution is intended to benefit African nations.
The number of children dying from illnesses like diarrheal diseases, pneumonia, malaria, and measles has dramatically decreased thanks to the strengthening of health systems and increased access to healthcare in African nations.
This week, Gates visited smallholder farms and primary healthcare facilities to hear from Kenyan and regional partners about what initiatives and strategies are having an impact, what challenges still need to be overcome, and how the foundation might better help future development.
On Thursday, he met with President William Ruto and paid a visit to the Kenya Medical Research Institute.
Bill Gates stated in a speech to more than 500 students at the University of Nairobi and thousands more who watched online that Africa's youth had the talent and chance to accelerate the development process and contribute to the solution of some of the most serious global issues.
“The big global challenges we face are persistent. But we have to remember, so are the people solving them,” Gates said.
Bill Gates talked about the Green Revolution and how it had previously changed the agricultural landscape. Moreover, he discussed cutting-edge technologies like remote sensors and various approaches to solving problems that still exist in the agricultural industry, and he heard the saying, "We Have It in Our Hand to Improve Agriculture."
“Our foundation will continue to support solutions in health, agriculture, and other critical areas—and the systems to get them out of the labs and to the people who need them.”
He also reminded students to finish their degrees. "I dropped out [from Harvard] because I was in a rush. But I remain a student taking many online courses," he said. He motivated the students to finish their degrees without any hurry as he was unable to do.
