Isaac Oguntoye
The Vice-President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osibajo reiterated that the one of the major focus of the present administration is to make the country more investment-friendly to potential investors across the globe.
Osinbajo stated this at a two-day event in Lagos, tagged “Nordic-Nigeria Connect – Innovating for Change.”
Nigeria is gradually emerging as a hotbed of innovations cutting across financial services, agriculture, hospitality and entertainment.
The efforts to diversify the Nigerian economy, job creation, rural and inclusive development require innovative solutions. The power of collaboration and co-creation is key.
Represented by Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Osinbajo said that Nigeria and the Nordic countries have had long relations,
and as such the conference initiative will further strengthen the partnership that will emerge at the end of the event as the Nordic- Nigeria connect seeks to combine the ideas and solutions from the Nordic countries and Nigeria.
“The Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Dr Jyrki Pulkkinen, said that there was a lot of potential in Nigeria that needed to be well harnessed.
The new Finnish Ambassador said it was imperative for Nigeria to invest in the development of her infrastructure and education, adding that Nigeria was the biggest economy in West Africa.
“Nigeria really needs to invest in the development of infrastructure and education.
“Education is the key for all countries to develop. People will demand innovation when a country invests heavily in education,” he said.
The Charge d’Affaires of Sweden Embassy in Nigeria, Amb. Steffan Tillander, said that the Nordic countries believed that through collaboration and co-creation much more would be achieved.
Tillander said that well-functioning infrastructure development would not be possible anywhere, adding the Nordic cooperation was a good example to be emulated.
“Our Nordic cooperation is a good example. We believe we are stronger when we join forces at home and abroad.
