The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Anna Westerholm, has urged deeper Nordic-Nigerian partnerships and long-term ecosystem building as Nigeria accelerates its digital transformation.
She delivered the call on Wednesday in Enugu during the ongoing 2026 Enugu Tech Festival (ETF).
The festival brought together participants from academia, innovators, policymakers, and industry leaders. Ambassador Westerholm led the Nordic delegation, joined by the Consul-General of Denmark in Lagos and several Nordic companies, to explore investment and collaboration opportunities in Nigeria’s innovation landscape.
“The future does not arrive fully formed; it is built by those who dare to imagine it,” she said.
Westerholm described the festival as a powerful reflection of imagination, ambition, and momentum. She emphasized that the Nordic delegation was not present merely as observers but to actively pursue partnerships in renewable energy, innovation, ecotourism, and digital development.
She praised the Enugu Tech Festival as one of Nigeria’s emerging platforms for innovation and digital transformation, where “policy meets entrepreneurship” and “talent meets opportunity.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s strengths, the ambassador pointed to the country’s ingenuity, resilience, and youthful population as major strategic advantages in the global digital economy.
She stressed, however, that investments in digital skills, cybersecurity, innovation ecosystems, and public-private partnerships must be treated as “strategic imperatives” rather than optional measures.
Drawing lessons from the Nordic experience, Westerholm explained that innovation thrives as a culture shaped by institutional stability, regulatory predictability, digital readiness, and strong public-private collaboration.
She noted that Sweden, with a population of just 10 million, consistently ranks among global leaders in startup success per capita, home to world-renowned companies such as Spotify, King, and Ericsson.
Sweden’s achievements, she said, stem not only from technology but from openness, stable institutions, and a belief that technology must serve society.
The ambassador cautioned that innovation models from cities like Stockholm or Copenhagen cannot be directly replicated in Nigeria. Instead, she urged the country to adapt global best practices to local realities rather than adopt foreign systems wholesale.
She acknowledged that artificial intelligence, blockchain, robotics, biotechnology, and clean energy are reshaping global competitiveness, but warned that technology alone does not determine success.
Addressing young innovators at the festival, Westerholm encouraged discipline, integrity, and persistence, reminding them that they are already shaping today’s digital economy and do not need permission to lead.
“You are the change you are waiting for — not tomorrow, not next year, but today,” she declared.
She concluded by affirming that Swedish companies at the festival are ready to build lasting relationships with startups, universities, regulators, and investors across Nigeria.
The ambassador’s remarks underscore growing international interest in Nigeria’s digital and innovation space, with Nordic nations positioning themselves as strategic partners in sustainable, inclusive growth.
