VP Shettima embarks on 2-day visit to Sweden

By Kunle Sanni

Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Sweden on a 2-day visit to represent Nigeria in bilateral engagements with the Scandinavian nation.

This was revealed in a statement by his spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, on Thursday.

At the request of President Bola Tinubu, the Vice President, during the working visit, will engage in high-level bilateral talks with key government officials, including a meeting with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and the Swedish Prime Minister.

Senator Shettima will use the visit to explore opportunities for strengthened collaboration between Nigeria and Sweden in areas such as ICT, innovation, education, digitalization, sustainable transport, mining, and agriculture.

He will also meet with key stakeholders in both the government and private sector.

The Vice President is scheduled to meet with Norrsken, a Stockholm-based venture capital impact investor, which recently launched Norrsken22, a USD 205 million tech investment fund for Africa.

Norrsken22 is a technology growth fund, backed by over 30 prominent unicorn founders, partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs building Africa’s next tech giants.

The meeting with Norrsken will provide insights into how Nigerian entrepreneurs can benefit from this fund and further strengthen the technology ecosystem in Nigeria.

Notably, 40% of the investments from Norrsken22 are expected to be allocated to Nigerian technology entrepreneurs.

Additionally, twelve Nigerian private sector companies that do business with Sweden will independently participate as a private sector bloc.

While in Sweden, VP Shettima is expected to articulate Nigeria’s economic vision and the reforms being undertaken by the administration to create a business-friendly environment for investors. He will also showcase the myriad of opportunities that abound in Africa’s largest economy.

The Vice President is expected back in the country on Saturday.