Nigeria is seeking Sweden’s reciprocal support in its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2030–2031 term.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, made the request in a meeting with Sweden’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the ongoing Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) in Spain.

A statement issued on Wednesday by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the minister, said Tuggar also sought Swedish technical expertise for the implementation of Nigeria’s newly signed tax reform policy.

The minister, who delivered a statement on behalf of President Bola Tinubu at the FFD4, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to financial inclusion and global economic empowerment.

He highlighted Nigeria’s strategic efforts to scale up the capacity of its development finance institutions, such as the Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture, to better support Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) with a focus on women and youth-led businesses.

Tuggar, who served as a keynote speaker during the inauguration of the Green Guarantee Group, on the sidelines of the conference, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to green financing and sustainable development goals.

He held a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Capital Development Fund focused on strengthening collaboration to support job creation and the growth of SMEs in Nigeria.

Both parties agreed in principle to sign a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at providing interest-free loans and broader support for small businesses.