Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Sweden on a 2-day visit, representing Nigeria in bilateral engagements with the Scandinavian nation.
This trip comes two weeks after President Bola Tinubu departed Nigeria on October 2 for a two-week working vacation in the UK, where he later embarked on an “important engagement” in Paris, France.
During his working visit, Shettima will engage in bilateral talks with key Swedish government officials, including a meeting with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden as well as another with the Swedish Prime Minister.
Shettima will also meet with Norrsken, a Stockholm-based venture capital impact investor, which recently launched Norrsken22, a $205 million tech investment fund for Africa. This meeting will provide insights into how Nigerian entrepreneurs can benefit from this fund and further strengthen the technology ecosystem in Nigeria.
A statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications reads:
At the instance of President Bola Ahmed 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, digitalisation, sustainable transport, mining, and agriculture.
He will also meet with key stakeholders in both the Government and Private Sector.
The Vice President will also 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 to build 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.
Twelve (12) Nigerian private sector companies that are doing business with Sweden are going independently as a private sector bloc.
While in Sweden, VP Shettima is also expected to articulate Nigeria’s economic vision and the reforms being undertaken by the administration to create a business-friendly environment in Nigeria for investors. The myriad of opportunities that abound in Africa’s largest economy will also be showcased.
The Vice President is expected back in the country on Saturday.