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Nigeria, Sweden Deepen Bilateral Ties As VP Shettima Receives Crown Princess Victoria

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Nigeria, Sweden Deepen Bilateral Ties As VP Shettima Receives Crown Princess Victoria

** Says her visit will open doors to deeper institutional relations, foster greater cultural exchange between both nations

By: Our Reporter

Nigeria and Sweden on Monday in Abuja declared their firm resolve to deepen bilateral relations through trade, sustainable development, gender equality, and cultural exchange.

To this effect, Vice President Kashim Shettima said Nigeria will continue to be a dependable ally of Sweden in all seasons, noting that both countries are poised for a partnership “anchored in innovation, powered by people, and guided by our shared determination to uplift communities and secure prosperity for generations to come.”

This was the outcome of a meeting between the Vice President of Nigeria and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Victoria, is on a three-day official visit to Nigeria as part of the bid to enhance diplomatic and economic relations between Sweden and Nigeria.

Describing the Crown Princess’s visit to Nigeria as opening doors to deeper institutional relations and greater cultural exchange between both nations, VP Shettima noted that the visit is not only a continuation of dialogue but also a new chapter for both nations.

“This moment opens the door to deeper institutional ties, stimulates business-to-business collaboration, and fosters greater cultural exchange.

“We are particularly excited about opportunities in renewable energy, precision agriculture, healthcare innovation, and gender inclusion—areas where Sweden has much to offer, and Nigeria is eager to learn,” the VP stated.

The Vice President recalled his high-level engagement in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, in October last year when he represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, pointing out that the visit marked a turning point in the bilateral relationship between both countries.

He continued: “From the warm hospitality extended by the Swedish government to the visionary discussions we had with Your Royal Highness, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and the captains of Swedish industry, we returned to Nigeria energised by a new momentum—one that has since translated into tangible outcomes for both our peoples.

“Our meetings in Sweden last year were not ceremonial; they were catalytic. They opened doors to strategic collaborations and renewed our commitment to making Nigeria a fertile ground for innovation, investment, and sustainable development.

“One of the most consequential outcomes of that visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria and Ericsson to support 5G innovation across our country.

“Beyond the digital frontier, Swedish enterprises continue to invest in Nigeria’s human capital and sustainable development. We applaud SchoolTry, the Swedish edtech company, for its continued work in transforming educational outcomes in Nigeria.”

VP Shettima told the Crown Princess that the aforementioned partnerships are “building blocks in a broader architecture of cooperation—one that positions Sweden as a key partner in Nigeria’s journey towards digital inclusion, educational reform, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy transition.”

Earlier, Crown Princess Victoria outlined Sweden’s vast interest in Nigeria, describing both nations as partners in so many sectors.

“We have been talking about Nigeria and Sweden now for a few days and it’s wonderful to see the opportunities that are here. And I think it’s specifically important during the times that we live right now,” the Crown Princess stated.

She said that it would be wonderful for Sweden to have a physical trade office in Nigeria, stating that it is something that should have been done long ago.

In his remarks, Sweden’s Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Andreas Carlson, lauded the partnership between both countries, saying “We have seen opportunities in Nigeria when it comes to innovation, tech sector and many skills where we can learn from each other and this will shape a better future for tomorrow for our people.”

He said all is set to declare open Sweden’s trade office tomorrow, even as he noted that both nations are standing on a firm foundation of long-standing bilateral relations spanning 65 years of robust relationship.

“We also see that there is a long-standing relationship in the business sector, a strong partner with Nigeria in the MoU that was signed during your visit to Stockholm. We have opened five innovation hubs in Africa and the largest in Nigeria, in Lagos. So, I see a lot of opportunities when it comes to other sectors; in health, agriculture and others,” he said.

In his remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tugga, highlighted earlier discussions he had with the Crown Princess of Sweden, including matters involving trade and investment, agriculture, green energy, solar, green hydrogen, ICT and Business Outsourcing involving issues of employment for skilled workers.

He explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Technical Aid Corp, will partner with countries that are interested in workers from Nigeria in a structured manner to reduce regional migration.

VP Shettima pledges Nigeria’s commitment to stronger ties with tech giant, Ericsson

In another development, Vice President Shettima on Monday pledged Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening ties with Swedish tech giant, Ericsson, by promptly operationalising the Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) signed between the country and the company in 2024.

The Vice President stated this when he received a delegation from the tech giant led by its Senior Vice President and Head of Market Area, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mr Patrick Johansson, on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Senator Shettima said Ericsson is a part of the Nigerian experiment, recalling that the firm laid the foundation for other tech giants at the time.

Noting that the company has kept faith with the nation as a partner in progress and a collaborator in her shared story of transformation, the VP commended the tech giant for its current investments in the establishment of innovation hubs and support for small businesses in the country, which he said is a consolidation of the partnership with the company.

The Vice President urged Ericsson and other investors to leverage the potential of the Nigerian nation, particularly harnessing the enthusiasm of its youthful population.

“We cherish our relationship with Sweden and your company and I must urge you to harness our manifest destiny. We are a large nation with a tech-savvy population. We are making efforts across different fields. A good number of the Unicorns that we have in Africa are Nigerian-based. The future is Nigeria,” the VP noted.

On his part, the Senior Vice President and Head of Market Area, Europe, Middle East and Africa of the company, Mr Patrick Johansson, emphasized the need to strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and Ericsson through the promotion of grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship, among other projects of Ericsson.

In the same vein, the company’s Vice President and Head of Customer Units, West and South Africa at Ericsson Middle East & Africa, Majda Lahlou Kassi, said Nigeria occupied an important place in the company’s history.

He said Ericsson believes in Nigeria’s potential and is proud of the existing relationship, especially the possibilities for growth in the local market and entrenchment of a digital culture among the citizenry.

Also present at the meeting with the VP were Ericsson’s Director of Public Affairs, Government and Industry Relations and the company’s Senior Solutions Architect, Mr Efosa Aigbe.

Nigeria, Sweden Deepen Bilateral Ties As VP Shettima Receives Crown Princess Victoria

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Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

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Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

By: Michael Mike

Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has called on Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress.

The advice was given by the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, in his message on Eid-el-Kabir.

The Institute, while extending warm greetings to Nigerians, wished them a joyous and peaceful celebration, marked by love, compassion, and unity.

The Institute while noting that Sallah is a significant occasion in the Islamic calendar, symbolizing the values of sacrifice, gratitude, and community, emphasized that the spirit of Sallah should guide Nigerians in their interactions with one another, fostering a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.

The IPCR urged Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress, while
encouraging individuals to embrace the values of Sallah, including forgiveness, empathy, and kindness, in their daily lives.

According to IPCR, peace is critical to promoting national stability and cohesion.

The Institute also urged Nigerians to use this period of Sallah celebration to address conflicts and promote dialogue, which could help to build trust and understanding among Nigerians and also contribute to a more peaceful society.

It recognized that the country’s many ethnic and religious groups can work together to build a more harmonious society, celebrating their differences and promoting a culture of tolerance.
End

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Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

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Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

By: Michael Mike

A community leader and the Waziri Mushere of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif has expressed dismay over the incessant killing of innocent citizens of the community.

Margif made this known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to halt what he described as genocide against the people, which he said was being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.

Margif also called on Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, and other security chiefs in the country, to rein in the alleged culprits.

He said: “I would like to draw the attention of the topmost leadership in Nigeria to the deteriorating dire security situation in Plateau, particularly in Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos LGA.

“I urge President Tinubu to take immediate decisive action to halt these endless and senseless killings, protect lives and properties, and secure the future of the Mushere people, and other victims of obvious genocide against the people.

“Herdsmen are killing our innocent people, burning their homes, looting their foodstuff, property, livestock, and taking over their ancestral lands,” he said.

According to the Abuja-based real estate mogul, the attacks and attendant killings have intensified recently since the onset of this year’s farming season.

Margif further said that the people had been displaced from their villages and ancestral homes and were forced to become internally displaced persons in the country.

He emphasised that the situation required immediate intervention by all stakeholders in order to prevent further escalation and inflict an irredeemable harm by wiping out the entire community from the surface of the earth.

He lamented that: “Since President Tinubu’s administration began, Plateau State has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence and loss of lives.

“This is the current sad reality. Our people are constantly under the threat of the enemy’s bullets and can’t sleep with two eyes closed due to the perpetual unleashing of violence against them by external forces.

“Something urgent must be done to stem the tide of violence and end this war against the people in order not to
harm this administration’s reputation,” Margif said.

In the past couple of days, suspected herdsmen militia killed no fewer than 35 people in the localities of Hokk, Pangkap, Fokoldep, Kopmur, Margif, Horop, Mbor, Mushere and Kwahas localities in Mushere Chiefdom.

Chairman, Bokkos Community Peace Observers, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the killings to newsmen, said the victims included a 70-year-old Pastor of COCIN LCC Kwakas-Mushere, Mimang Lekyil, who was attacked and killed in the church.

He said that the pastor’s wife was also shot in the leg and was admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment, he said.

“Bokkos has never been this insecure, with the people being butchered as we are currently witnessing,” Lilian Madaki, from the Mushere community told journalists.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Emmanuel Adesina, also confirmed the incident in a statement saying security forces including police and military personnel, had been deployed in the affected communities.

Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

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VP Shettima Leads Mourners At Funeral Prayers For Late Prof. Jibril Aminu

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VP Shettima Leads Mourners At Funeral Prayers For Late Prof. Jibril Aminu

** Says Nigeria has lost an intellectual giant

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima today led other Muslim faithful for the Jana’iza (funeral prayers) of the late elder statesman, renowned medical scholar and former Minister of Education and Petroleum, Prof. Jibril Aminu, at the National Mosque in Abuja.

Prof. Aminu, a one-time President of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (OPEC), passed on in Abuja on Thursday after a prolonged illness.

The Vice President, who arrived at the National Mosque at 1:52 pm, commiserated with the family of the deceased and prayed Allah to comfort them and make Aljanna Firdaus the final abode of the late elder statesman.

Noting that the late Prof Aminu’s demise is a great loss to the nation, VP Shettima described the late surgeon, educationist and administrator as a man who saw it all, just as he said the deceased was an intellectual giant who can hardly be replaced.

“It is a very sad loss. Prof Jubril Aminu was the last of the great titans, an iconic figure who enormously contributed to the development of the nation.

“He was variously the Executive Secretary of NUC, Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri and Honourable Minister of various ministries across the country and left his landmarks on the sands of time.

“He is irreplaceable. May Allah grant him Aljanatul Firdaus and give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. His loss is not just to the good people of Adamawa State but to the nation and Africa at large,” the Vice President prayed.

Born in Song, Adamawa in 1939, Prof. Aminu was a towering figure in Nigerian public life.

The late Consultant Cardiologist served the nation in different capacities, including as Federal Minister of Education and later Federal Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (1989–1992), Ambassador of Nigeria to the United States (1999–2003), and Senator representing Adamawa Central (2003–2011).

He was also President of OPEC in 1991 and President of the OPEC Conference between 1991 and 1992 while he was Petroleum Minister.

Other mourners who joined the Vice President at the National Mosque in Abuja for the Jana’iza included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Special Adviser to the President on General Duties (Office of the Vice President), Dr. Aliyu Modibbo; former Secretary to the Federal Government, Yayale Ahmed; former Governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako; former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje; former Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai (rtd); former Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman; former Minister of State for Health, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, among many others.

VP Shettima Leads Mourners At Funeral Prayers For Late Prof. Jibril Aminu

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