90 SECONDS WITH BILL GATES: BOKO HARAM

The first in a series of big ideas (in small bites) with Bill Gates.

When Bill Gates turned his attention — and his billions — toward global aid 15 years ago, it was with the same single-minded determination that brought him success at Microsoft. Northern Nigeria, with one of the highest rates of child mortality in the world, is an ideal place for the Gates Foundation to do work. But over the past decade, a formidable opponent, unlike any Silicon Valley competitor, has arisen: the Islamic insurgents known as Boko Haram. The powerful group fights not only the Nigerian government, but also any Western influence, and their tools are kidnappings, pillaging and other forms of terrorism. But as Gates explains in our video, improving the dire health situation in northern Nigeria is not mission impossible.