A long , strong and friendly bilateral relationship with Nigeria , our active approach in promoting trade and economic relations that can be very beneficial for both countries , a very strong expertise , know-how and experience in education , health , innovation , technological solutions , social innovations , good governance , anti-corruption . With these , only sky is the limit in creating winwin opportunities for both countries .
What are your views on the state of the African economy ? ‘ Africa rising ’ has been and is still the big trend . This is the up-and-coming continent . Challenges are still many , and external factors of world economy do not make the situation easy right now , but It is clear that Africa is growing in a significant way in economic importance , and companies have been looking much more towards this direction in recent times . In Finland , there is also a growing interest among companies to explore business opportunities in Africa . Focus is also little by little shifting from development cooperation to trade and business , and I think this is good for Africa . In years to come , we will still need some of the development cooperation , but I think it is much better if the relationship moveson to a more equal footing and more based on trade . There is no reason for that not to happen .
What are your views on the state of the Nigerian economy ? Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa . You could say the country is in a class of its own in the continent . The Nigerian economy overall has been developing promisingly , even if one has to recognize that growth has not been as inclusive or economy as diversified as they should . At the moment Nigerian economy is in a challenging place , with the price of oil having dived , but I want to believe that the situation can also be an effective incentive for developing economy in a sustainable way , including diversification . Clearly , the new government in Nigeria is very strongly committed to and aiming at this . For businesses from Finland and elsewhere Nigeria is a very interesting place . There are challenges of course , but things are developing to the right direction . Tackling security and corruption challenges will do wonders to how the Nigerian business environment is seen outside the country . The people in Nigeria are incredibly enterprising and dynamic , and they seem to work at all hours . This Nigerian mentality is a very important aspect in making the most of the potential of the country , and it ’ s actually very inspiring for me personally . Are there opportunities for more trade between Finland and Nigeria ? There are lots of opportunities in various different sectors . Just now we are bringing into the country a business delegation that represents the sectors of ICT , education , health , cleantech , health , oil & gas and power . Health is one area where wehave focused on recently , the event on health and wellbeing that the embassy organized in Lagos in November is one example of that . Renewable energy , or waste treatment could be others , to mention some examples . Nigeria is a country with vast potential in all these areas , and many Finnish companies are very interested in exploring or expanding in the market .
What are some stumbling blocks to further exploiting these potentials ? Security and corruption are the main things . Infrastructure , including power supply is another . Companies are looking for a reasonably predictable and well-functioning business environment . With improvements in these areas , Nigeria can be even more interesting for foreign businesses . We must thank you very much for your time and we look forward to greater cooperation between Nigeria , Africa and Finland . We believe Africa has a lot to learn from Finland because of the values that Finland represents as there aren ’ t too many rich or too many poor people . We all have a lot to learn from each other . I am learning every day in Nigeria .
30 | PRTIMES AFRICA MARCH 2016