President Bola Tinubu met with Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the transformative power of technology in the modern world. The President emphasized his administration’s commitment to harnessing technology to enhance transparency, accountability, and public-sector performance, with a focus on tackling corruption and financial impropriety.
Tinubu highlighted his experience as Governor of Lagos State, where he leveraged technology to boost revenue collection and create an efficient tax system, resulting in a significant increase from N600 million to over N8 billion. He stressed the importance of investing in technology to drive progress and overcome resistance from vested interests. “Technology is the enemy of fraud, corruption, and irregularity. We have been working hard on improving technology. There is always initial resistance, but when you bend that curve, you will receive the benefit. The nation will receive the benefit,” the President said.
Bill Gates commended the President’s efforts and introduced a cutting-edge, one-identity technological platform that can integrate diverse data, underscoring the importance of data harmonization for effective planning, security, and tax efficiency. He explained that this platform can help streamline identity management, which has been fragmented in the past. “We are working with Mr. Wale Edun, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, on digitization. Before you came into office, there were a few attempts at identity management, but they have been very scattered. There have been multiple identification systems,” Gates stated.
The meeting underscored the potential for technology to drive meaningful change and the need for continued investment and innovation to achieve sustainable progress. The discussion also highlighted the importance of collaboration between government and private sector leaders to leverage technology for the betterment of society.