The Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed Abuja for Sweden on a 2-day visit to represent Nigeria in bilateral engagements with the Scandinavian nation.

At the instance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Vice President, during the working visit, will engage in high-level bilateral talks with key government officials, including a meeting with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and the Swedish Prime Minister.

Senator Shettima will use the visit to explore opportunities for strengthened collaboration between Nigeria and Sweden in areas such as ICT, innovation, education, digitalisation, sustainable transport, mining, and agriculture.

He will also meet with key stakeholders in both the Government and Private Sector.

The Vice President will also meet with Norrsken, a Stockholm-based venture capital impact investor, which recently launched Norrsken22, a USD 205 million tech investment fund for Africa.

Norrsken22 is a technology growth fund, backed by over 30 prominent unicorn founders, partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs building Africa’s next tech giants.

The meeting with Norrsken will provide insights into how Nigerian entrepreneurs can benefit from this fund and further strengthen the technology ecosystem in Nigeria.

Notably, 40% of the investments from Norrsken22 are expected to be allocated to Nigerian technology entrepreneurs.

Twelve (12) Nigerian private sector companies that are doing business with Sweden are going independently as a private sector bloc.

While in Sweden, VP Shettima is also expected to articulate Nigeria’s economic vision and the reforms being undertaken by the administration to create a business-friendly environment in Nigeria for investors. The myriad of opportunities that abound in Africa’s largest economy will also be showcased.

The Vice President is expected back in the country on Saturday.

Stanley Nkwocha
Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications
(Office of The Vice President)
16th October, 2024

Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio has denied reports that operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, stormed National Assembly over alleged impeachment moves by lawmakers in the upper legislative chamber.

Akpabio informed Senators that his attention had been drawn to the reports during plenary on Wednesday.

He described the reports as fake.

The Senate President lamented that fake news was gradually taking over the media space.

“There is no limit to what online publications cannot do. This is total fake news and the impeachment of principal officers did not arise and we are all here in the National Assembly without any controversial issues.

“I learnt that they could click an AI and news will start trending to drive traffic and I am sure the traffic for this fake news is massive by now,” he said.

The Senate President later referred the matter to the Committee on Special Duties for investigation.

The report of the investigation is to be presented to the Committee of the Whole within 24 hours.

The Director of State Security officers have assumed control of the Assembly amid reports of a possible impeachment threat against Akpabio.

Ekwutosblog gathered that the premises of the National Assembly resembled a war zone this morning as operatives of the Department of State Security(DSS) took over, fueling rumors of an impending impeachment move against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Speculation suggests that discontented northern senators, reportedly dissatisfied with President Bola Tinubu, are reigniting efforts to remove the Senate President from Office.

Globally, parliaments deploy internal security teams to maintain order and safety within parliamentary premises, and the National Assembly is no exception. Additionally security agencies are also present to ensure the protection of lives and property, particularly during times when internal security might under strain.

This morning Ekwutosblog observed DSS personnel, both men and women, stationed at key access points within the premises.
Dressed in dark suits and wearing imposing dark shades, their presence is clearly intended to reinforce security.