Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Thursday assured Swedish investors of the readiness of Nigeria for business with the global community.
Shettima gave the assurance at a Nigeria/Sweden Business Forum on Trade, Investment with focus on digital economy, agriculture and renewable energy>
At the event, held at Epicenter in Stockholm, Sweden, the vice president said that the world was transiting to green economy, adding that global developments are tending towards Africa “and Nigeria will make or mar that transition.”
Shettima told the members of the Swedish investment team that the Nigerian digital space and ecosystem is yearning for support and investment.
According to him, President Tinubu speaks the language of investors, being private sector man who grew up in financial ecosystem.
” Nigeria, a country of 220 million people, by 2050 will surpass the United States. We will be the third most populous nation on earth. By the end of the century, Nigeria will be the most populous nation on earth and there are beauties in numbers. People celebrate China fundamentally because of the population and ingenuity.
” I can assure you that the Nigerian digital space, the Nigeria digital ecosystem is yearning for support and investment. Nigeria beckons, a new Nigeria is calling on you and we are ready for business.
“Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I am quite delighted to be back in Stockholm in this distinguish city of a great people, of a great civilisation and culture,” he said.
Shettima reiterated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to harnessing the potential of the Nigerian youth.
” I believe Nigeria is where the action is. We have the talent, we have a very young resilient and resourceful population in Nigeria. With the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, this is the best time to come and invest in Nigeria,” he said.
Read also: Shettima jets to Sweden to engage Norrsken, others at Stockholm
Earlier, Akinola Jones, Director, Gluwa, a digital wallet service, said as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration, the company would train over 30,000 people on digital skills
” We see a situation that, once we launch our satellite in December this year, we can connect directly to satellite, and this is going to be a very big win for Nigeria and a very big win for the technology ecosystem.
Jones said that, already, they had started a training of about 1,000 people in Jigawa state, adding that it would be extended to the entire Northern Nigeria.
“We have given about a 100 million dollars loans. It is not just about disbursing loans, it is not just about trying to grow portfolios, it is really about given back.
Edgar Luczak, Chairman, Partner & Head of Advisory, Epicenter, Sweden, noted that the future was digital and sustainable, assuring that the epicenter was ready to engage.
According to him, through collaboration both countries can build a stronger economy, create jobs and most importantly, ensure a future for the generation to come.
” Sweden is a home to some of the world most ground breaking companies in the world. And we have an education system that promotes creating thinking and ecosystem of universities leading the way in research, technology and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Also, Hakan Danhltor, Director, Project Accelerator, Swedfund, expressed the commitment of the organisation to reduce poverty and support sustainable development through investments in the private sector and in local private companies.
” And as a matter of facts, Nigeria is a country where we have the third highest exposure in our recurrent portfolio. We have more than 30 direct to indirect investment in Nigeria in different sector but a lot of them are in the energy sector helping to use clean energy from the renewable energy.
” We are working with the Nigerian Communications Commission to expand broadband deployment in Nigeria. This is one discussion we are really excited in continuing to see if we can collaborate on that,” he said.
Mikaela Edstrom, Swedish Export Credit Agency, said the agency is closely watching the ongoing economic reforms taken place in Nigeria and viewed it as a positive for the future.
The Managing Director, Ericsson Nigeria, Peter Olusoji Ogundele, revealed plan of the company to build $19 million worth of technology hub in Nigeria.
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