Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has launched a blistering attack on Elon Musk, blaming him for overseeing the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and slashing foreign aid budgets under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative.

In an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, Gates accused Musk of playing a key role in eliminating life-saving programs that served the world’s most vulnerable populations.

“He’s the one who cut the USAID budget. He put it in the wood chipper, because he didn’t go to a party that weekend,” Gates said in the interview. “The world’s richest man has been involved in the deaths of the world’s poorest children.”

The comment was one of several strong-worded remarks Gates made while discussing global health and foreign aid. His criticism was particularly focused on decisions made by Musk’s DOGE initiative, which led to the closure of USAID and what Gates called “stunning” budget reductions that impacted programs for childhood immunizations, HIV prevention, and maternal health.

One of the examples Gates highlighted was the abrupt cancellation of funding to a hospital in Gaza Province, Mozambique—a region far removed from the Middle East. According to Gates, the hospital had been receiving U.S. support for antiretroviral drugs that prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. The aid, he said, was cut off due to a profound misunderstanding by government officials.

“They cut the money to Gaza Province in Mozambique. That is really for drugs, so mothers don’t give their babies HIV,” Gates said. “But the people doing the cutting are so geographically illiterate, they think it’s Gaza and condoms. Will they go meet those babies who got HIV because that money was cut? Probably not.”

Gates said the scope of the damage caused by the aid cuts is dire and warned that child mortality figures, which had been declining steadily due to decades of public health interventions, could spike.

“If foreign aid keeps dropping, the five million kids who die every year could become six million,” Gates told the Times.

The Microsoft co-founder made these remarks in the context of announcing his intention to give away his entire fortune, estimated at $200 billion, within the next two decades. Gates said the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would close its operations in 2045, with a goal of maximizing its impact in areas like vaccine access, disease eradication, and child nutrition before winding down.

Still, Gates emphasized that philanthropy cannot fully replace the role of governments in fighting poverty and disease globally.

“Our foundation can help, but it’s not enough,” he said.

This is not the first public clash between Gates and Musk. The two billionaires have frequently exchanged barbs over the years. Gates has previously accused Musk of contributing to political instability in Europe, pointing to his support for right-wing causes in countries like the United Kingdom and Germany. He has also expressed frustration that Musk, despite his leadership at Tesla, has not been more vocal about the dangers of climate change.

On his part, Musk has publicly mocked Gates in the past and downplayed his understanding of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. In 2022, Musk described Gates’ knowledge of AI as “limited.”

As of Friday, Musk has not publicly responded to Gates’ latest comments.

The accusations come amid mounting scrutiny of the consequences of foreign aid rollbacks, particularly those associated with the DOGE initiative. While the program was marketed as a cost-cutting and efficiency measure, critics like Gates argue that the cost is being borne by communities with little power or visibility on the global stage.

For Gates, who has made global health the cornerstone of his post-Microsoft work, the dismantling of public health support infrastructure appears to have touched a nerve.

“These claims are not political; they’re about saving lives,” he said.

However, Gates’ comments have reignited debate over the role of billionaires in public policy, especially when their influence extends deep into areas traditionally managed by elected officials and humanitarian experts.

Nigeria recorded a significant increase in internet usage at the end of the first quarter of the year, defying a sweeping 50% hike in telecom service charges that took effect in February.

The surge notably underlines the country’s growing reliance on mobile internet for daily communication, business, education, and entertainment.

According to the latest industry performance data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), mobile data usage surged by 11.5% in March 2025, reaching 995,876.10 terabytes, up from 893,054.80 terabytes in February.

The NCC’s decision to approve the first major price adjustment in the telecom sector in over a decade, allowing operators to implement a 50% increase in the prices of voice, data, and SMS services, was expected to cause a slowdown in data usage. But March data tells a different story.

On January 20, 2025, the NCC gave mobile network operators the green light to increase charges, citing the sector’s sustained financial pressure from double-digit inflation, foreign exchange volatility, high energy costs, and operational expenses. The operators had long warned that continued price controls were unsustainable, and the regulator eventually yielded.

By February, operators had revised their pricing structures: 1GB of data, which previously averaged N287.50, rose officially to N431.25. However, actual market rates now reflect a higher average of N587.50 per GB, according to operators’ pricing on prepaid bundles. SMS costs increased from N4.00 to N6.00 per message.

Internet subscriptions also rose in March, further contradicting predictions of consumer cutbacks. The number of active internet subscriptions climbed to 141.5 million, up from 140.7 million in February, across Nigeria’s four major mobile network providers: MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile.

MTN remains the clear market leader with 75.62 million internet subscribers, while Airtel follows with 48.8 million. Globacom maintained 15.37 million, and 9mobile trailed with 1.75 million users.

The increase in subscriptions comes despite broader concerns about the cost of living crisis in the country, where rising fuel prices, electricity tariffs, and food inflation continue to squeeze household incomes.

But the growth in mobile connectivity, particularly in data services, suggests that internet access has become a non-negotiable utility for millions of Nigerians, rather than a discretionary service. The mobile phone, powered by internet access, now supports everything from remote work and online schooling to digital banking, streaming, e-commerce, and social media.

Voice and Data Subscriptions Expand

Beyond internet-specific metrics, total mobile subscriptions, which include both voice and data lines, also recorded growth. Between February and March, operators added 1.8 million new active lines, increasing the total from 170.6 million to 172.71 million.

This also contributed to a rise in Nigeria’s teledensity, which measures the number of telephone connections per 100 people. It grew to 79.67% in March, up from 78.83% in February, based on an estimated population of 216 million.

MTN Controls Over Half of the Market

In terms of market share, MTN Nigeria continues to dominate the telecom space with 90.5 million active lines, accounting for 52.48% of the country’s mobile users.

Airtel maintains the second-largest share with 58.3 million users or 33.78%. Globacom holds 12% of the market with 20.7 million lines, while 9mobile has just 2.9 million subscribers, representing 1.72% of the total market.

First Major Tariff Adjustment in Over 10 Years

Before the January 2025 approval, Nigeria’s telecom tariffs had remained relatively flat for more than a decade, even as operating conditions worsened. The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and other industry stakeholders had repeatedly petitioned the NCC to consider a pricing review.

Operators pointed to persistent inflation, difficulties accessing foreign exchange for equipment and software imports, rising diesel prices for powering base stations, and the costs of maintaining network infrastructure as justification for a hike.

After long resistance, the NCC acknowledged these challenges in January, approving what it described as a “moderate and necessary adjustment” to ensure continuity of service and encourage future investment in network expansion.

Industry Outlook: Resilience or Breaking Point?

While March figures suggest strong resilience among Nigerian telecom consumers, there are concerns that continued price increases, especially if inflation persists or subsidies are removed in other sectors, could eventually trigger a slowdown.

Some experts also caution that rural users and low-income groups may be disproportionately affected, potentially deepening the digital divide if affordability becomes a barrier to access.

However, the current trend shows that the demand for data, driven by Nigeria’s youthful, digital-savvy population, is outpacing economic pressure, at least in the short term.