Stockholm, Sweden — Nigeria has intensified efforts to secure international partnerships for its digital transformation agenda, engaging Swedish government officials, technology firms and financial institutions during the Sweden leg of its Project BRIDGE Investment Roadshow.
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, held talks with Sweden’s Minister for Public Administration, Erik Slottner, focusing on strengthening bilateral cooperation in digital transformation and public sector innovation.
Discussions underscored similarities between Sweden’s newly launched Digitalisation Strategy and its forthcoming national AI Strategy and Nigeria’s own ambitions to expand digital services. Both sides examined opportunities to accelerate artificial intelligence adoption across public institutions to enhance service delivery.
The Nigerian delegation also met with leading Swedish telecommunications and fibre infrastructure companies, including Hexatronic and Ericsson, to explore potential participation in Project BRIDGE. Talks centered on leveraging Swedish expertise to support Nigeria’s planned 90,000-kilometre fibre backbone expansion project.
On the financing front, discussions were held with Business Sweden and key institutions such as Swedfund, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Swedish Export Credit Corporation and Swedish Export Credits Guarantee Board. Engagements focused on blended finance mechanisms, risk guarantees and export credit structures aimed at unlocking large-scale capital for the initiative.
The delegation also consulted with AI Sweden on change management strategies for public sector AI adoption and possible collaboration on similar programs in Nigeria.
Officials described strong interest in Stockholm in forging long-term partnerships with Nigeria at the intersection of connectivity, artificial intelligence, sustainable infrastructure and industrial development, as preparations continue for the deployment of Project BRIDGE.