American businessman and philanthropist, Bill Gates, has raised concern over the high rate of child deaths in Northern Nigeria, warning that one in six children born in the region does not live to see their fifth birthday.

Gates, who spoke in an interview ahead of the Gates Foundation’s annual Goalkeepers’ event in New York, described the statistic as a wake-up call for governments and development partners to act with urgency.

He, however, urged governments to strengthen primary healthcare, expand vaccine access, and deploy new medical innovations, insisting that millions more children could be saved by 2045 if leaders recommitted to proven strategies.

Nigeria remains among the countries with the highest child mortality burden, especially in the northern states, where weak health systems, poverty, and insecurity, limit access to life-saving care.

Reacting to Gates’ warning, a senior official at the Federal Ministry of Health, who spoke under anonymity, acknowledged the challenge but said efforts were underway to change the narrative.