Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima is set to embark on a two-day visit to Sweden to represent Nigeria in a series of bilateral engagements with the Scandinavian nation.
According to a statement released on Wednesday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President), Shettima’s visit is at the request of President Bola Tinubu.
During his working visit, the Vice President will participate in high-level discussions with key Swedish government officials, including meetings with Crown Princess Victoria and the Prime Minister of Sweden. The talks will focus on strengthening collaboration between Nigeria and Sweden in areas such as ICT, innovation, education, digitalisation, sustainable transport, mining, and agriculture.
Shettima will also engage with important stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. A notable meeting will be with Norrsken, a Stockholm-based venture capital impact investor that recently launched Norrsken22, a $205 million tech investment fund for Africa. The fund, backed by over 30 prominent unicorn founders, aims to partner with entrepreneurs to build the next generation of African tech giants.
Nigerian entrepreneurs stand to benefit significantly from Norrsken22, with 40% of the fund’s investments expected to be allocated to Nigeria’s tech sector.
Additionally, 12 Nigerian private sector companies that have business ties with Sweden will participate independently, forming a private sector bloc.
While in Sweden, Vice President Shettima will also highlight Nigeria’s economic vision and ongoing reforms aimed at creating a business-friendly environment for investors. He will showcase the numerous opportunities available in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy.
The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria on Saturday.