INTERVIEW: Why Nigeria is Norway’s important trading partner

Nigeria and Norway enjoy relations that date back to the 19th century. A huge part of this relationship is the stockfish enjoyed in many Nigerian homes.

The stockfish, called Okporoko by millions of Nigerians, is imported from northern Norway.

In this exclusive interview, Svein Baera, Norway’s ambassador to Nigeria, tells PREMIUM TIMES how important the Nigerian market is to the Norwegian fish industry.

He also talks about renewable energy and climate change, studying in Norway for Nigerians, and other areas of partnership between the two countries.

Excerpts

PT: Norway has, over the years, championed the abolishment of the death penalty with some progress. However, with the return of President Trump, we have seen him talk about the restoration of the death penalty. How does Norway intend to navigate this?

Mr Baera: Norway will definitely continue to promote the abolishment of the death penalty with our allies like the US and other countries. This is part of the human rights agenda that we are raising on any kind of occasion when we have a dialogue between our country and the country we are in. We have a new government and a new president in the US and he is elected by the American people, Norway has had strong relations with the US for many years like we have had with Nigeria and we would have to find ways of collaborating with the new administration in the US and I am confident that we would find ways also on important issues like that.

PT: How do you think this will impact your advocacy around the death penalty on the African continent?

Mr Baera: We have to live with that and accept that countries have different policies on this topic and other topics. I think this is one of the main reasons diplomacy is important. All the nations of this planet have different opinions on different things, and it is important for us here in Nigeria to work together on the global scene.

PT: How has the currency fluctuation affected the trade figures as it concerns stockfish which is the major trade item between Nigeria and Norway?

Mr Baera: Figures are still high. We are still exporting all the stockfish that we can to Nigeria. It is still a very high number, up to 10,000 tonnes of stockfish every year. The import of stockfish into Nigeria started in the 19th century. However, the difficult part is that stockfish has been so important as an ingredient in Nigerian kitchens and also for families who do not have a lot of money. The price of stockfish is higher because of inflation and we fear that many families that previously could afford stockfish can no longer buy anymore or have to buy less.

We have suggested to the government a couple of times that they consider adding stockfish to the list of import duty-free products.

PT: Tell us about the zero import duty conversation and where that is currently

Mr Baera: We have not been informed that there has been any change. But we see at the same time that the value of the naira has been more stable for a few months now than it was last year. Hopefully, it will not be more expensive than it is now.

PT: Beyond recommending zero import duty to the Nigerian government, what is the Norwegian side of the divide doing to ensure stockfish are available, affordable and accessible for Nigerian homes?

Mr Baera: Fish is a global commodity and, like the Norwegian Salmon, is a product that we export to more than 150 countries around the world. The market mechanism works in the same way as with any other products, it can be sold for the highest price. When it comes to stockfish, this is not sold in many countries. Without the Nigerian market, a crucial part of the Norwegian fish industry will not be able to sell its fish. I think stockfish is special and the stockfish producers in North Norway are pushing the price as far down as they can without losing money on it.

PT: Are there innovative ways in which Norway can make the stockfish more affordable? Political or Diplomatic?

Mr Baera: I do not think that is a matter of diplomacy, it is a matter of business and trade. I visited one of the biggest stockfish producers in North Norway last summer and I saw that the production of the stockfish is done in a very professional and innovative way.

I think they are making the whole process as inexpensive as it can be. There is a long value chain, and I am sure it could be even more efficient than it is but how that can be done is something the Nigerian part of the chain will have to find out how to get the stockfish from the harbour in Lagos out to the cities where it is ending up on the table of families. Possibly, that could be made quicker, but that’s not something that we as an embassy can do much about.

PT: Norway is a powerhouse in renewable energy, what kind of partnership exists or is in the works to help Nigeria diversify its energy sector?

Mr Baera: There are two things I can mention about that. One is a programme called Energy for Development which is a Norwegian-sponsored programme that is just getting started in Nigeria. It focuses on flaring in Nigerian oil production platforms. It is a huge problem in Nigeria that so much of the gas is being flared. It is a problem because it causes climate change, it is also a problem because it is valuable gas being burned instead of led into containers to be used in Nigerian kitchens or energy facilities. So what Norway is offering to this programme is to strengthen the competence among Nigerian actors, so that flaring could be reduced, and the gas from the flaring could provide revenue for Nigeria. So it is a win-win project, and I am very hopeful that this will be good because this is an area where Norway has the highest competence in the world.

PT: What exchanges are happening between Nigeria and Norway in terms of technology transfer?

Mr Baera: This is a very important area when it comes to business partnerships and investments from Nigeria to Norway. I can take one very concrete example, because last year, the Justrite supermarkets in Lagos, opened the very first facility where they put solar panels on the roofs of the supermarket, they installed battery stations in the facility so that the sun could give these big supermarkets up to 80 per cent of all the electricity they need during the 24/7 span.

Every time you replace one of those diesel generators with clean solar power, it is a happy moment because it is good for the climate and the economy. It is important to acknowledge that Norway did not get rich because of oil and gas. We did it because we had hydropower, which was developed more than 100 years ago to be the core delivery of electricity in Norway. Hydropower is inexpensive and clean.

So to the extent that we can also get involved in hydropower projects, we are ready to do so. Of course, those projects must be developed by the Nigerian government before they can expect investors to come on board.

PT: What is Norway doing in climate finance for partners like Nigeria?

Mr Baera: I believe that Norway and other Western countries have a big responsibility when it comes to paying for the main share of what needs to be done to stop the increasing temperature on the planet. Of course, countries like Nigeria and other African countries should get assistance from the big funds to do more themselves.

Climate change will affect everyone. It does not know any borders, so poor and rich countries will be affected. This is why it is the most important topic in international work, and it shows how important it is that countries work together to find solutions.

It is difficult because it requires a lot of funding, but it has to be done. I cannot say anything more than that Norway is contributing its share to filling up those funds that can provide funding for countries like Nigeria to replace fossil fuels with electricity, and so on.

PT: Despite Norway’s record and reputation for having quality education, why do you think Nigerians do not look to Norway for higher education abroad?

Mr Baera: The simple reason is that it is easier for many Nigerians to go to a university in a country where they speak English and not Norwegian, even though, of course, you find classes in Norwegian universities that offer a master’s degree with English as a language. There is no doubt that for a student being abroad, it is easier if you are speaking the same language as others. That is why I think the UK, Canada and the US will always be preferred when a Nigerian student is picking a destination.

However, we have a group of Nigerian students in Norway and one of my colleagues here at the embassy met with them for a couple of beers last summer and they had a good chat at the bar in Oslo. I can also mention that we have a special relationship between the University of Lagos and the University of Life Sciences in Norway, which is a programme that has been partially sponsored by the Norwegian government. This programme currently allows two PhD students from Nigeria to get funding and competence from Norway when it comes to fish farming, which is an area that is quite big in Norway and is on the rise in Nigeria.

PT: Is this an area you think Norway would want to break further into in terms of getting not just Nigerian students but African students as it is also revenue-generating?

Mr Baera: Definitely! I think education is one of the best areas where we can find excellent international cooperation because I believe that when young people are taking part of their education in another country that brings young people together and the world will gradually be a place where more understanding between different cultures is being established. So, the more we can do this, the better.

There is a programme called Education Cannot Wait, which makes sure that refugees or internally displaced persons can get access to education. In the northeast of Nigeria, where we have a high number of these internally displaced persons, this programme is helping the children in the refugee camps to get an education.

PT: To regional security corporations, Norway supports Nigeria and ECOWAS efforts with regional security and this has been useful, especially with the crisis in the Sahel. How has this corporation affected Nigeria’s security reality?

Mr Baera: We are not working on a military basis when it comes to security between Nigeria and Norway. Other countries are doing that, but we are not doing that. We are working together to find solutions. Even as ECOWAS has lost members, we encourage that dialogue between Nigeria, ECOWAS and the breakout countries is important for regional stability and that these countries, even though they have different opinions, are governed in different ways, continue to work together. For instance, when it comes to security, fighting terrorism in Sahel, fighting terrorism in the Lake Chad area, it’s important and we are contributing to that without me being able to go into more detail on that.

PT: Why has the decades-long relationship between Nigeria and Norway not translated into large trade figures?

Mr Baera: Norway is a country of five million people. The sheer size of our country is not the same as the US, Canada, UK, France and so on. We have to live with the fact that Norway is a small country and Nigeria is the biggest country in Africa and has a great regional role. Norway can support Nigeria in some part of this regional role but we will never be on the same level as the UK or US, we have to admit that.

PT: What are your priorities around press freedom in Nigeria?

Mr Baera: Norway is among the top countries in the world when it comes to press freedom. We live in an age with lots of disinformation and propaganda; it is hard to know what is fact from fiction especially on social media. The role of the formal media working within ethics is more important than ever to bring truth to the people and to hold the government accountable which is why they are called the fourth state power. We are doing what we can to talk about this in Nigeria through seminars to raise awareness.

PT: Does it get boring being a diplomat? Kids and family?

Mr Baera: Boring is not the word. It might be difficult sometimes because when you live in one country, you make friends and have a good life and then you move on leaving that good life behind and you may never see some of those friends again. It is difficult sometimes but at the same time, it is a big privilege to be able to do my job for Norway and at the same time work in different countries and meet people.

PT: How does this affect family life?

Mr Baera: My children are now adults and they live in Norway. However, while working in Tanzania, Washington DC, my family was with me and we had a great family life. When I ask my children how they would look back at their lives if they had never lived in a place like Tanzania, they say that would be less of a good life. Essentially, they are happy they got to experience this life too.

PT: How long have you been in Nigeria?

Mr Baera: For one and half years. I have been here for a while but there is still so much to learn.

PT: How different is being in Nigeria from Tanzania and South Africa?

Mr Baera: I think it is considerably different. In the same way that countries in Europe are different, countries in Africa are different. Culture and ways of life are different and that is one of the most interesting things to experience as a diplomat. I have been lucky to experience life in South Africa, East Africa and now West Africa. It is also interesting to discuss those differences with people.

What strikes me about Nigeria is the very strong urge to be an entrepreneur, to create something out of your life either in business or something else. Nigerians are always keen to start up something new and they have a lot of energy and self-confidence.

Even with the economic situation and inflation, I do not see that Nigerians are losing faith in the future, they are just working harder to achieve their goals.

PT: How would you say this is different from life in Norway?

Mr Baera: Some elements are similar, but at the same time, very different. One thing is the climate in Norway. At the moment there is winter; it is cold weather with snow on the ground. People in such surroundings will live differently than people in Africa, where the sun is shining, it is warm and it never snows. Also, what I said about the size of the country is that Norway is a fairly small community, there are not as many ethnic groups as you have, for instance, in Nigeria, which also makes it different.

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PT: Going back to Tanzania, South Africa and Nigeria, which do you like better?

Mr Baera: Of course, it is Nigeria but as a diplomat, I could never say something else being interviewed by a Nigerian journalist.

PT: You are just trying to make me feel good.

Mr Baera: No, but I think you know you cannot say that you like a country more than another country. I think because there are different elements in every country that you like more than other things. So, this is a mixture of experiences like something I liked very much in Tanzania that I do not like in Nigeria is the fact that the security situation is better in Tanzania. So in Tanzania, I could take my car with my family, and we could drive around the whole country without having fear of anything. In Nigeria, that is more difficult because there is a lot of crime and a lot of kidnappings, and we have to be much more careful. So, there are pros and cons in every country.

PT: Let’s talk about the food. Again, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria?

Mr Baera: That is also difficult to judge. I think when it comes to seafood, I think South Africa has the lead. They have a big variety of fish and other seafood that is brilliant.

In Nigeria. I love jollof rice. It is a good addition to the food I have here, and also the Kilishi (dried meat, usually of cow or sheep, coated with spice), it reminds me of the dried meat we have in Norway. It is different but in the same league.

PT: Are you a fan of the Nigerian Afrobeat?

Mr Baera: I am a big fan, like many, many other Norwegians, and this was one of the first things I heard about Nigeria when I was considering applying for this position. And I was listening to Afrobeat music on Spotify back home. I like it, and I know that several artists from Nigeria have been invited to play at music festivals in Norway over the last few years. So Norway, like the rest of the world, is taking Afrobeat to its chest and we love it.

PT: Who is your favourite artist out of Nigeria?

Mr Baera: My favourite is Rema. And maybe that is because when I was sitting back home in Norway listening to this music, I came across this song by Rema called Charm. I really, really like the mood of that song, and I have heard it so many times here in Nigeria as well, both in the night clubs and on the radio, and when it is played with a saxophone, and I just love that.

PT: How much of the country have you seen?

Mr Baera: Not enough. You know, I often say to my fellow Norwegians that they need to consider Nigeria not as one country, but as 36 countries in a strong union, but still with clear differences between the states. So I have been to Borno, Katsina, Oyo, Lagos and Benue, in addition to living here in Abuja. But I hope I can travel to more of the states, also down south.

PT: What about the different Nigerian cultures you have seen intrigues you?

Mr Baera: I think it is a combination because it is quite big differences between the cultures in the south of the country and the cultures in the north, and to embrace both these cultures in one country is not easy. But I think Nigeria is doing well to make sure that everyone feels Nigerian, even though they have different cultures.

PT: You spoke about the ease of movement while you were in Tanzania which is different from Nigeria’s security situation. What do you think Nigeria could do better?

Mr Baera: I think the most important thing any government must do for its people is security. The government in any country in the world should provide security for its citizens, that is job number one. I know the Nigerian government is doing a lot to make the country safer. Still, more efforts are needed because it is not only a problem for us living here that we are exposed to crime, but to attract foreign investments, you need to show that your country is a safe place. The more that can be done in this area, the better for everyone in Nigeria, as well as visitors.

PT: You have seen a bit of a continent, and you have seen a bit of Nigeria as well. What will you say to many people in the West, especially those who refer to Africa as a country?

Mr Baera: That is simply a lack of competence. I would encourage people from those parts of the world that would refer to Africa as one country, they need to make their next holiday to Africa and see for themselves how rich this continent is. Not only 54 countries, but even inside every country, there is such a wide variety of cultures.