Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for a two-day visit to Sweden, representing Nigeria in a series of bilateral engagements with the Scandinavian nation.

The visit, made at the request of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will include high-level discussions with key Swedish government officials. During the visit, Senator Shettima is scheduled to meet Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and the Swedish Prime Minister.

“The Vice President 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,” said Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President).

In addition, Shettima will engage with key stakeholders from both the government and private sectors. A significant part of his visit will involve a meeting with Norrsken, a Stockholm-based venture capital impact investor, which recently launched Norrsken22, a $205 million technology investment fund for Africa.

According to Nkwocha, “The meeting with Norrsken will provide insights into how Nigerian entrepreneurs can benefit from this fund and further strengthen the technology ecosystem in Nigeria.” He also noted that 40% of the investments from Norrsken22 are expected to go to Nigerian tech entrepreneurs.

Accompanying the Vice President is a private sector bloc comprising 12 Nigerian companies conducting business with Sweden.

While in Sweden, VP Shettima is expected to highlight Nigeria’s economic vision and reforms aimed at creating a business-friendly environment for investors. “The myriad of opportunities that abound in Africa’s largest economy will also be showcased,” Nkwocha added.

The Vice President is expected to return to Nigeria on Saturday.