Nigeria’s engagements crucial to deepening tech, innovation and telecoms partnerships ─Business Sweden

*Business Sweden Middle East and Africa, in highlighting key takeaways from the trip, affirms the recent visit of Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and his key officials from FMCIDE team to Stockholm, plays ‘a crucial role in deepening technological and innovation partnerships between Sweden and Nigeria’

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Business Sweden Middle East and Africa says the recent visit of Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Technology (FMCIDE), and his Ministry-wide team to Stockholm, in Sweden, has evolved engagements that have laid “a robust foundation for future collaborations”.

ConsumerConnect reports Business Sweden, which noted this in a statement during the week, said the official visit of Dr. Tijani and his team, including Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), promised “to accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy through strategic partnerships and shared knowledge.”

Dr. Tijani (middle, right row); Dr. Maida (left row); and Malam Abdullahi (2nd right row) with the Swedish Government officials and private sector players, in Stockholm, recently             

Business Sweden Middle East and Africa helps the Swedish companies to grow global sales, and supports international companies to invest and expand in Sweden.

The group declared that it is “delighted to share key takeaways from the visit of H.E. Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, to Sweden from May 2-3, 2024.

“This visit played a crucial role in deepening technological and innovation partnerships between Sweden and Nigeria.”

It recalled during the visit, Minister Tijani, alongside a high-level delegation including key officials, engaged in a series of strategic engagements, such as engagements at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs that opened with a Team Sweden roundtable meeting hosted by Mr. Håkan Jevrell, State Secretary for Trade, with Business Sweden, SEK Svensk Exportkredit, Swedfund International, Sida, and Svenska institutet.

Potential collaborations focus on innovation, digitisation and telecoms, says group

It said: “Luncheon with Minister Johan Forssell, where opportunities for stronger partnership in innovation, digitalisation and telecommunications were discussed.

“Minister Forssell emphasised the importance of these sectors to the green transition efforts of both nations, highlighting Nigeria as a pivotal partner for Sweden.”

It also explained that a roundtable discussion focused on EdTech, which was moderated by Business Sweden’s Nathalie Thiel with IST Group, Binogi International and The Park.

According to the group, the Nigerian team’s visit as well was extended to “Ericsson Headquarters, where the delegation explored state-of-the-art technologies, such as 6G and discussed potential collaborations that could enhance Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital infrastructure.”

According to the group, other key takeaways from the visit to Sweden include the tour and meeting at Norrsken with a discussion that focused on “creating an enabling environment, the tech investment climate and the entrepreneurial landscape in Sweden and Nigeria.

“Meeting with Swedish Post and Telecom Authority and SPIDER to discuss ongoing collaborations.

“Meeting at Vinnova, engaging with leaders from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Digital Futures, Ignite Sweden and SISP – Swedish Incubators & Science Parks to discuss advancing digitalisation and innovation.”

Business Sweden Middle East and Africa disclosed the discussion at Epicenter Stockholm, particularly focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovations, the startup ecosystem, and international collaborations.

The group added: “These engagements have laid a robust foundation for future collaborations, promising to accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy through strategic partnerships and shared knowledge.”

We had ‘constructive discussions’ with Swedish Government officials, private sector ─Dr. Tijani

Earlier, Dr. Tijani recently affirmed that his team, including Dr. Maida, Malam Abdullahi, and other key officials from the wider FMCIDE team, had a series of “constructive discussions” with the Swedish Government officials and private sector people in Stockholm.

Tijani also informed their hosts that the West African country’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and its agencies, over the last eight months, has placed “much emphasis on four of the five pillars in the FMCIDE’s Strategic Blueprint” launched 2023.

The Minister stressed that the efforts have resulted in laying “the foundation for us to activate initiatives under our Trade pillar.”

On Nigerian team’s trip to Sweden, he also noted that it was on the invitation of Annika Hahn-Englund, Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria.

Nigeria is Sweden’s second largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa: Minister

According to Tijani, we were “in a series of constructive discussions with Swedish government officials and private sector to deepen our already strong relationship with Sweden as their second largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

He further averred that “Sweden is home to the second largest concentration of unicorns in the world and boasts a strong heritage of innovation.

“So, there is a lot of opportunity for collaboration and support for our initiatives in innovation, research, connectivity and digital technology as we work to accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.”

He also commended the hosts from Team Sweden, led by Johann Forsell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, for the invitation, and to all members of Business Sweden for their hospitality.

“We look forward to the next steps as we collaborate, and leave you with the very warm weather which we brought from Nigeria,” said the Minister.

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