Representatives from Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden have visited Nigeria in an attempt to collaborate with the country across different sectors, including fighting violent extremism in the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the Foreign ministers from the Nordic countries explained that the areas of interest for collaborations include global and regional security, trade and investment, human rights, democracy, and climate change. The trip to Nigeria is the first of its kind outside Europe.
Representatives in the delegation comprised Tobias Billström, Swedish minister for foreign affairs; Elina Valtonen, Finnish minister for foreign affairs; Thórdís Gylfadóttir, foreign affairs minister of Iceland; Bjørg Sandkjær, Norweigian state secretary for international development; and Eva Barløse, Danish undersecretary for foreign policy.
The Swedish minister stated that the Nordic countries have a long tradition of participating in international trade, and economic ties across countries have been the strength of economic growth and development.
The minister explained that the joint visit was very important to the combined team because Nigeria has been a steadfast ally in upholding international laws and addressing global challenges. The minister mentioned the country’s efforts in the fight for the climate and countering the spread of violent extremists in West Africa; it was also stated that the country has been one of the biggest trading partners in Africa.
Speaking further, the Swedish minister expressed concerns regarding the level of misinformation and disinformation being spread by world powers such as Russia and China to drive narratives to suit them only. The minister explained that the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine has caused the misinformation and disinformation trend, which has been a concern for the countries. Billström noted that the concerns are taken seriously.
Billström noted that the misinformation and disinformation threats could also affect Nigeria, which has revived the partnership to fight the level of false information that keeps spreading.
It was further established that such information disorder is novel and requires new tactics to tackle the trend; the partnership will also bring new ideas for the all-import fight.
During the visit, the team had a series of meetings with the Nigerian government, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and civil society actors on advancing regional and global security and other areas of interest. The Finnish minister explained that the country has been dealing with disinformation actors who sow discord in Nigeria from Finland.
Valtonen explained that the need for partnership is the same between countries, noting that European countries have built expertise in digitalisation, energy, and the circular economy.
On his part, Gylfadóttir explained the instance of disinformation battling Iceland is the same issue which Nigeria has been struggling with. Gylfadóttir disclosed that the engagement between the countries has centred on how best to strengthen multilateral institutions to improve peace and security.
The Danish minister explained that the country has planned to launch a new African strategy for a reformed international architecture while looking to build a vice that will be strong to reckon with for the continent.
