Sweden to develop Nigeria’s digital economy

Some Swedish firms, businesses and universities are ready to partner with Nigeria on Information Communication Technology(ICT) and  digital economy,

Mr Stephan Tillander, the Charge D’Affair, Embassy of Sweden in Nigeria, said this on Friday when he spoke with State House correspondents after leading a Swedish business delegation to a closed door meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The envoy said that the delegation had a very fruitful discussion on digital issues relating to how the internet and modern technology innovations could help strengthen cooperation between Nigeria and Sweden, their businesses and universities.

“ We have Swedish companies, Ericsson, Scania, with us in this meeting,  we hav representatives from Swedfund, from the Swedish Spider, and from Ideon which have been working with universities to establish parks where people can get help with innovation and incubation and develop businesses.

“We see how these can strengthen relations between these two countries.

“I think there are a lot of opportunities in this; if you have a functioning internet and if you have a functioning public transportation, that will facilitate job creation and employment and that will make the economy grow.

“So, this is international trade, international exchange, businesses investments like Ericsson, Scania will help benefit the economies both of Nigeria and of Sweden.

“We see how Swedish companies are working with Nigerian partners  and production in Nigeria is step-by-step growing, thanks to this and partnership is expanding and growing, thanks to this,’’ he said.

Lanre Osibona, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on ICT, said that the collaboration led to the Sweden-Nigerian Innovation Day held in Lagos on December 4, 2018.

He said that the collaboration would bring resurgence in commercial trade relationship between the two countries for mutual benefits.

Osibona said that considering Sweden’s long history in technology and innovation, the collaboration would boost the quest of the administration to make Nigeria a knowledge hub in Africa.