Anna Westerholm

As a career diplomat, Westerholm served as Sweden's Ambassador for the Eastern Partnership from 2016 to 2022. Before then, she held the position of Director and Deputy Head of the Department for Multilateral Development Cooperation at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA). She has also worked as an analyst for the Swedish Armed Forces focusing on the Caucasus and Central Asia, and has held several positions with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Estonia, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova.^[4]

Her experience is not limited to diplomacy, as she has also served on boards.^[4] Since assuming her role as Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, she has called for stronger Nordic–Nigerian partnerships that could foster a long-term ecosystem for innovation and digital transformation.^[6]

In January 2026, Westerholm led a delegation visiting the Nigeria recording label Chocolate City.^[7][8] In February 2026, she visited the University of Nigeria,^[9] when she led a Nordic delegation to the Enugu Tech Festival^[10] alongside the Consul-General of Denmark.^[11][12]

Ambassador Westerholm, in line with Swedish values, describes gender equality as a "cornerstone of democracy", saying that violence against women and girls "often silences their voices and undermines democratic values".^[13][14]

• List of diplomatic missions of Sweden
• Foreign relations of Sweden