Why arrest, trial of Simon Ekpa delayed — Finnish Ambassador

The Finland Ambassador to Nigeria, Sanna Selin, recently sat down with PREMIUM TIMES to discuss bilateral relations, ongoing collaborations in trade and investment, education, energy and opportunities for deeper cooperation between both countries.

She also spoke about controversial Biafra activist Simon Ekpa, who is facing a terrorism trial in Finland. Mr Ekpa was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison by a Finnish court on Monday. The interview with the ambassador was held several days before the court judgment.

Here is an excerpt of the interview

PT: The Finnish education system is globally admired, and Nigeria has benefited little from it beyond individual scholarships. Is there a partnership to support systemic reform, funding gaps, curriculum development, or teacher training in Nigeria using Finnish expertise?

Ms Selin: Yes, the achievement of the Finnish education system has been known all over the world, and Finland is a sought-after partner for Nigeria when thinking about developing the education sector. You mentioned scholarships, which is true. Cooperation between both countries is already on through scholarships. However, we are supporting Nigeria with systemic reforms through our comprehensive teachers’ training programme. For example, we have a group of teachers from Lagos who participated in service training in Finland. One thing to mention is the education outside the classroom model, which starts very early, before the child is enrolled in a school or skills are learned outside of the classroom. This is something that has proven to be very important.

Also, there is the Finland-Nigeria cooperation in the field of education. We are training education institutions, funding partnerships with Finnish universities, such as universities of applied sciences, and finding partners for them in Nigeria.

PT: Despite cordial diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Finland, trade volumes between the two countries remain modest. Are there ongoing discussions in recent years aimed at strengthening trade relations?

Ms Selin: You are very much right. Trade relations have been low, even though we have always had good relations with Nigeria. This is because we are not importing oil and gas from Nigeria. But there is a reason for that as well, we are trying to diversify our economy to renewable energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

Recently, we have had diplomatic visits from Nigeria to Finland and otherwise. This cooperation is going on, and we are exploring more all the time.

We also have the Nordic-Nigeria Connect. A business platform that has already been held three times before, and it is happening again. This time in Lagos in October. It will be connecting hundreds of Finnish and Nigerian companies, particularly those in the field of green economy, digital services and the health sector. We are planning to bring in a business delegation. The other Nordic countries with whom we are partnering will also be doing the same. Norway, Sweden and Denmark are the countries we are partnering with. We are exploring all the possibilities for the trade, and hopefully, in the coming year, we will see some better figures.

The current Nigerian administration has made attracting foreign investment a central focus, with several policies over the past two years geared toward this goal. From your perspective, do you see these efforts as potentially stimulating Finnish private sector investment in Nigeria’s emerging sectors, such as the digital economy, renewable energy, and the creative economy?

Ms Selin: We see the investment-friendly policies that have been offered here in Nigeria. Of course, it is a positive driver for Finnish companies and our private sector. We have four priorities here in Nigeria. We have ICT, energy and power, a secular economy and health. We see in the government programme that Nigeria is trying to find new solutions and partnerships, and its technology sectors demand reforms. Finland is an innovation-driven, high-tech society and sees that Nigeria is promising in this context when it comes to renewable energy. Nigeria’s energy cap provides some opportunity for Finnish innovations, for example, in clean energy solutions. I already mentioned that we are trying to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and diversify our economy. We can see that Nigeria is also trying to do the same, and we would be happy to partner with Nigeria in this transition that has started.

Another thing that is also very interesting here is the creative economy that Nigeria is developing. There is a growing potential for collaboration. For example, when it comes to gaming, animation and digital media.

PT: With our investment-friendly policies, are there any signs that we could be attracting Finnish private sector investment to Nigeria?

Ms Selin: In the long run, yes. As we discussed, the interaction between our countries has been quite small. The first step, of course, is to increase the awareness of Nigeria in Finland and also the other way around. When people contact increases and Finnish companies get more familiar with Nigeria, investments will follow.

Investments are not the first step, but I am confident that in a certain period, the investments will also come.

PT: How would you assess Nigeria’s place in Finland’s foreign policy priorities on the African continent, especially compared to East Africa or Southern African partners?

Ms Selin: We published 2021 our Africa strategy. The strategy aims at diversifying our partnerships and relations to find more mutually beneficial partnerships and also to develop a more ambitious agenda with the African countries. So it’s more trade, less aid. And this I have heard also from many decision makers here in Nigeria. There’s a call for more trade, not aid. Of course, assistance is also important, but trade is something that Finland is looking into with Nigeria.

When it comes to countries like Eastern African countries, we have had very long cooperation in the development agenda in the old days. But we have shifted very much from that. As I said, trade is now the thing, and we see Nigeria as a potential partner, both in the political scene and as a regional power, a big country in sub-Saharan Africa, and home of the ECOWAS. We see Nigeria as an important player here. So it’s very, very important to have a closer partnership with the giant of Africa, which is Nigeria.

PT: The trade innovation you’ve spoken of, does it include knowledge transfer to Nigerians, capacity development in those areas?

Ms Selin: Knowledge transfer is an important part of what we do. This reflects in technology transfer. This is also in the field of education; for example, Finland has been a strong player in training the trainers. We must see how we can also participate in job creation, knowledge transfer here. Currently, we have a lot of Nigerian students who are studying in Finland, and I hope that when they finish their studies, they will come back to Nigeria and use their learned skills to develop the country further.

PT: How easy is it for Nigerians to get an education in Finland?

Ms Selin: There is a lot of potential here, there are a lot of skilful young people here, and it’s basically just taking the exam, applying to the schools. Many Nigerians have been very successful in the application processes. We have more and more English-speaking programmes also in Finland.

Earlier, everything was in Finnish, but nowadays we have more and more English-speaking programmes.

PT: Nigeria and Finland have maintained cordial relations since the 1960s. However, the relationship faced strains in recent years, particularly at the height of the Biafra agitation, when Nigeria pushed for the repatriation of Simon Ekpa to face terrorism-related charges. At the time, many Nigerians believed the Finnish government, and perhaps the EU, was reluctant to act. Although Ekpa has now been arrested, some argue that this only happened due to sustained Nigerian pressure. Can you share with us what really happened? Was the Finnish government forced to take that action?

Ms Selin: Let me start on a little bit wider scale. Finland, of course, has a strong interest in promoting security, peace and stability in Nigeria. Also, Finland is internationally known as an advocate for mediation and as a mediation actor. We support grassroots actors and promote dialogue between the parties. And in recent years, Finland has also become an active supporter of peace mediation here in Nigeria. For example, we have been supporting the work of the traditional and religious leaders in peace mediation and peacemaking because we see that building sustainable peace demands inclusive societies based on human rights and the involvement of all members. We also have a special focus on women and the youth because they are an essential part of society building.

Now, to your question on the case of Simon Ekpa. It has attracted quite a lot of attention in recent months and years here in Nigeria. But the case is not over yet.

I’ll shortly say this. We have had extremely good cooperation with the Nigerian authorities. However, cases like this take a long time to investigate. It takes time to gather all the necessary evidence.

Currently, we are waiting for the district court decision in the Simon Ekba case on September 1. We will soon hear what the court has decided. Until then, it’s better not to speculate too much. We will see what will happen. But be assured that the case has been very well investigated. In countries like Finland, where the rule of law and human rights are very strong on the agenda, things are done properly. Sometimes, that takes a lot of time. It’s very interesting.

PT: While Finland has made remarkable progress in advancing gender equality and inclusivity, these remain pressing challenges in Nigeria. What lessons can Nigeria draw from Finland’s experience?

Ms Selin: We see gender equality, not just a moral imperative, but essential to national stability and sustainable development. Women are half of the population, more or less, and Finland’s success story in this area is a result of the long-term commitment that we have put into inclusive education, health care and political participation of women in the society building. Yes, our countries are very different, but it’s always good to share the best practices, and then Nigeria can find its model. There are universal values and international agreements on this. So, what Nigeria can learn from Finland is to strengthen the legal framework related to women and increase women’s representation in leadership, both economically and politically. I know that there is a new law about increasing the seats in the House of Representatives here. That’s something interesting we are following. There’s also a need to ensure equal access to health care, education and economic opportunities.

Finland stands ready to support Nigeria through the knowledge exchange and policy dialogue, and partnerships. So, I look forward to working on this agenda, not only the trade agenda, which I mentioned earlier.

PT: Nokia was once a major brand in Nigeria in the early 2000s, dominating the country’s telecommunications market. Over time, however, this influence declined. Why did this shift occur?

Ms Selin: We have approximately 25 Finnish companies in Nigeria. It’s not a huge number, but we are also quite a small country of 5.6 million people. Nokia has been present in this country for a long time, decades, and they’re based in Lagos. They employ about 100 people over there. It used to be well known for its mobile phones, but it sold its mobile phone business more than 10 years ago. They are more concentrated on telecommunications and networks — 5G, 6G, and even 7G development research work. Nokia can be a very important partner for Nigeria. We have also been talking about border security issues, and I think Nokia has the right type of technology. They also have many other telecommunication connectivity issues as they have expanded their expertise over the last years.

There is another big Finnish company present here. It’s called Wärtsilä. They are also based in Lagos, like many companies with offices in Nigeria. They are helping with energy transition and green future solutions, and they employ around 100 or 200 people. They have been here for a really long time and are here to stay.

I hope more Finnish companies find their way here, following these two global giants.

PT: In Nigeria, there is still a challenge of access to power, and power is the backbone of technology. Is the country’s energy challenge taken into consideration in the digital and technological innovations you are partnering with Nigeria on, or is it a separate agenda?

Ms Selin: Nigeria is diversifying its economy from an oil-based economy. It is using gas as a source of power, and that is something within Finnish expertise.

And for renewables, we are talking about hydro or solar or any other more renewable energy sources; we have the technology. So, if there is an interest in this, we are happy to share more information and map out the possibilities for the country.

PT: You’ve spoken about technology, energy, education and more. In your view, what untapped diplomatic or economic opportunities exist between our two countries, and what barriers have hindered cooperation?

Ms Selin: Again, the first thing is to increase awareness. We need to know and understand each other better. We are far away geographically, and the interaction hasn’t been that big. It takes a little bit of time for Finnish companies to understand the kind of potential Nigeria can offer for them. Of course, my job as an ambassador is to bring forward this awareness.

Also, natural interaction and interest will follow when people get to know each other better. I’m very happy to bring forward the bilateral agenda between our countries and whatever we can do and find new partnerships. A few sectors were already mentioned earlier, and I’m not excluding any other industry outside of the possible cooperation.

PT: You did say earlier that one of the top priorities for Finland in its relations with Nigeria is the health sector. Could you speak more on this?

Ms Selin: We are mapping a new area, and one thing we find interesting is the demand for quality healthcare. There are many cases of Nigerians travelling abroad for healthcare. In Finland, we created something called the Centres of Excellence for the health sector. They are normally in the university or university hospitals, or public hospitals. They are, sometimes, private hospitals as well.

We are considering developing this kind of Centres of Excellence in Nigeria. Hopefully, this will encourage both Nigerian doctors and patients to stay back in Nigeria, while also attracting patients from the neighbouring countries who are in need of healthcare services. And of course, this involves a lot of different kinds of technologies, equipment and so on.

This is something that we are mapping out at the moment in the healthcare sector. We are involving technology. This is not just basic healthcare, but it is also a technology transfer.

PT: Can you tell us about the Nordic-Nigeria Connect event taking place later this year?

Ms Selin: I forgot to mention earlier that we had a very historic visit last August. Four Nordic foreign ministers visited Nigeria. This was a very historic thing because they have never done something like this anywhere else in the world, though we are considering doing more of that. The Nordic-Nigeria connect event I mentioned earlier is happening in October. This is the fourth time we are hosting the event. These themes are about the green transition, sustainability, digitalisation, and also health. At the moment, we are looking for cooperation partners and sponsors. We are also trying to attract high-level delegations from our Nordic countries.

PT: What does Nigeria or Nigerians stand to gain from the conference?

Ms Selin: It will bring together Nigerian companies and companies from the Nordic countries. So, more partnerships, more trade, more business opportunities. That is the idea behind it.

The goal is to find new partnerships and strengthen the ones that are already in existence. Very often, we ask government officials to increase trade, but, in the end, it is up to the companies. They go where they want to go. To the markets they find interesting. And the final decision is, of course, with the companies themselves.

There is so much Nigeria can offer the Nordic countries, especially when we think about how innovative, startup-driven, for example, Lagos state is, not to exclude the other states here. We need to find a model for how to bring these things forward in the future.

PT: Finland has a strong taxation system and has in the past supported other African countries, particularly Kenya, in broadening their tax base. Nigeria is currently making similar efforts. Is Finland providing Nigeria with comparable support to raise revenue through taxation and implement investment-friendly policies?

Ms Selin: You’re very much right about the heavy taxation we have in Finland. I’m paying about 40 per cent of my salary as taxes. It is at the base of what we have in Finland nowadays. From healthcare, education, and social services. Sectors that are now very, very much developed. They are created because the Finnish taxpayers have been actively paying taxes.

With the new tax reforms, the tax base in Nigeria could also increase because they would then, I assume, go directly to developing the country as we have done in Finland.

You mentioned Kenya. We don’t have with Nigeria any similar type of cooperation, but it’s definitely something that we should look into if there is an interest from the Nigerian side.

PT: Finland has positioned itself as a global leader in environmental innovation. In Africa, climate change has intensified, with countries like Nigeria facing severe flooding, droughts, and heatwaves. Are there specific climate-focused partnerships between Finland and Nigeria, perhaps in areas like adaptation or renewable energy, that both governments are currently pursuing?

Ms Selin: Well, we have had discussions with the Nigerian government on how we could help or contribute or partner in key climate initiatives.

We are exploring support for off-grid renewable energy. We discussed earlier that the energy gap in Nigeria is still wide. And this, alongside insecurity, has been hindering the investments. Currently, we have some joint research on the circular economy, waste management side, and climate resilience.

Also, we have some really good Finnish technology for these types of things. We tend to think from the business side and how we could increase trade in these sectors. We are also looking into having deeper collaboration on Nigeria’s energy transition, as we discussed, and aligning with our commitment to sustainable development.

Here again, we are happy to share our expertise and what we have done, although our climate conditions are very different. Finland has very harsh, long, dark winters.

PT: You’ve spent almost a year in Nigeria now. What memorable Nigerian dishes have you tried, and have you also had the chance to experience some of our traditional clothing?

Ms Selin: Rightly so. I have been here since September last year. It has been a very intensive year, learning a lot of new things, getting to know this huge country with so many different cultures and traditions, and a big population. It’s very interesting.

I am really honoured, very pleased that my government has sent me here. I can achieve a lot of things when I get to know the country better. That’s why it’s very important to continue the dialogue with a lot of different players and see that there are other partnership possibilities.

I love Adires, as you can see. So I have a collection of Nigerian clothing already, and I’m planning to get some more. I, of course, have developed an ear for the Nigerian Afrobeat. I love Afrobeat music as well.

I’m still trying to get used to the very spicy food here. In Finland, the food is not very spicy, so it takes a bit longer to adjust. Also, the people are very nice here, very friendly, and cooperative.

All in all, it has been a very, very good first year.