A collaged photo with text that reads “I have invested $1.6 billion in Nigerian economy with no result – Bill Gates…” being circulated on WhatsApp is digitally altered and a deliberate hoax, a fact-check investigation by Daily Trust has shown.
Daily Trust also confirms that the picture used was doctored as it was an image of CNN’s Business Editor at Large, Richard Quest allegedly with a CNN news bar “Bill Gates publicly rebukes Nigeria’s leaders”.
Daily Trust was able to confirm through the following checks:
- Daily Trust, through an image reverse search of the photo on Yandex.com, confirms picture was a screenshot of CNN’s Business Editor at Large, Richard Quest in an interview with Kenya’s Central Bank Governor, Patrick Njoroge.
- The original Richard Quest’s picture doesn’t contain the CNN news bar with the text: “Bill Gates publicly rebukes Nigeria’s leaders.”
- A Google search of the text: “I have invested $1.6 billion in Nigerian economy with no result – Bill Gates” shows that the poster may likely want to create mischief by introducing some words “with no result” into the original texts of Mr. Gates speech which stated thus: “We have committed over $1.6 billion in Nigeria so far, and we plan to increase our commitment” as published on InvestorAdvocate.com.ng and reported by various reputable mainstream media.
Daily Trust confirms that the texts allegedly quoting Mr. Gates have been reported on some websites including www.Tori.ng, www.nnu.ng and www.nairaplus.com.
It was also posted on Facebook on April 1, 2019 by 2:56pm by a group known as “Atiku For 2019: New Vision For Nigeria” and has since gained 42 reactions, 11 comments and 41 shares.
Here is the original video of Mr. Gates CNN’s Exclusive interview published on its website on March 26, 2018: