Have you ever visited a place you haven’t been in a while, and it somehow manages to feel both new and familiar? That’s how I feel every time I go back to Nigeria.

It was amazing to return to Lagos and Abuja this week. I’ve been fortunate to spend a lot of time in Nigeria over the last two-plus decades, but it’s been nearly five years since my last visit due to the pandemic. Nigeria—and especially Lagos—is one of the most dynamic, vibrant places in the world, and I am always blown away by how much it's changed. At the same time, I loved getting to catch up with old friends and reconnect in person with longtime partners. (Remote meetings are great, but it’s nice to meet face-to-face on occasion.)

This week also marked my first-ever trip to Niger. Our foundation has been working with talented Nigeriens for years to help ensure children's health and prevent the spread of polio, and it was exciting to see the country for myself and talk about the future of that work.

It was a great week. These were some of my favorite moments:

Nigeria’s next generation of innovators

Nigeria is one of the youngest, fastest-growing countries in the world. The number of people between the ages of 20 and 40 is projected to double by 2050, from around 62 million today to 123 million. That’s a huge number of people who can use their passions and skills to help solve big problems—and I was excited to speak with some of them at the Youth Innovation Forum in Lagos. Students from the Lagos Business School and I talked about how you can make a difference while also turning a profit, how Africa can maximize the tremendous potential of its human capital, and why jollof rice is one of many good reasons to visit Nigeria.