List of ambassadors of Sweden to Nigeria
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Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal)
| Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria | |
|---|---|
 | |
since 2025 | |
| Ministry for Foreign Affairs Swedish Embassy, Abuja | |
| Style | His or Her Excellency (formal) Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal) |
| Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Seat | Abuja, Nigeria |
| Appointer | Government of Sweden |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Formation | 1961 |
| First holder | Love Kellberg |
| Website | Swedish Embassy, Abuja |
The Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Federal Republic of Nigeria) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the president of Nigeria and government of Nigeria.
In conjunction with Nigeria's declaration of independence on 1 October 1960, Swedish Foreign Minister Östen Undén sent a congratulatory telegram to Nigerian Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, stating that the Swedish government recognized Nigeria as a sovereign and independent state. Undén expressed the Swedish government's desire to maintain friendly and cordial relations with Nigeria. Simultaneously, a congratulatory telegram was also sent by the King of Sweden.[1]
In early September 1961, Sweden established an embassy in Lagos, Nigeria. Love Kellberg, the head of a department in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, was appointed as Sweden's first ambassador to Nigeria.[2] On 3 October 1961, Kellberg presented his credentials to Governor-General Nnamdi Azikiwe.[3] In January 1962, Kellberg, who was also accredited as ambassador to Porto-Novo in the Republic of Dahomey, presented his credentials to President Hubert Maga, along with a gift from the King of Sweden.[4]
Sweden's ambassador to Nigeria has, at various times, also been accredited to neighboring countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Niger, and Togo.
List of representatives
| Name | Period | Title | Notes | Presented credentials | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federation of Nigeria (1954–1963) | ||||||
| Love Kellberg | 1961–1963 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Porto-Novo. | [5] | ||
| First Nigerian Republic (1963–1966) | ||||||
| Marc Giron | 1963–1966 | Ambassador | [6] | |||
| Military dictatorship (1966–1979) | ||||||
| Carl Swartz | 1966–1969 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra (from 1967), Niamey (from 1967), Ouagadougou (from 1967), and Porto-Novo (from 1968). | [7] | ||
| Bertil Arvidson | 1969–1972 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra (from 1970), Niamey, Ouagadougou, and Porto-Novo (from 1970). | [8] | ||
| Pierre Bothén | 1973–1974 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra, Niamey, Ouagadougou, and Porto-Novo. | [9] | ||
| Karl-Anders Wollter | 1974–1977 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra, Niamey (from 1976), Ouagadougou (until 1976), and Porto-Novo (from 1976). | [10][11] | ||
| Vidar Hellners | 1977–1979 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra, Cotonou, and Ouagadougou (until 1978). | [12][13] | ||
| Second Nigerian Republic (1979–1983) | ||||||
| Vidar Hellners | 1979–1981 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra, Cotonou, Ouagadougou, and Lomé (from 1979). | [12] | ||
| Bo Elfwendahl | 1981–1983 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra. | [14] | ||
| Military dictatorship (1983–1993, 1993–1999) | ||||||
| Bo Elfwendahl | 1983–1985 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra. | [14] | ||
| Lave Johnsson | 1985–1989 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra (from 1986). | [15] | ||
| Göran Zetterqvist | 1989–1992 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra. | [16] | ||
| Arne Ekfeldt | 1992–1997 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra. | [17] | ||
| Lars Ekström | 1997–1999 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra.[a] | [18] | ||
| Fourth Nigerian Republic (1999–present) | ||||||
| Lars Ekström | 1999–2002 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra, Cotonou (from 2000), Niamey (from 2000), and Lomé (from 2000).[a] | [18] | ||
| Birgitta Holst Alani | 2002–2005 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra (from 2004), Cotonou, Niamey, and Lomé. | [21] | ||
| Lars-Owe Persson | 2005–2008 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra, Cotonou, Niamey, and Lomé. | [22] | ||
| Per Lindgärde | 2008–2012 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra, Cotonou, Niamey, and Lomé. | [23] | ||
| Svante Kilander | 2012–2016 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra, Banjul, Cotonou (until 2015), and Lomé. | [24] | ||
| Inger Ultvedt | 2016–2019 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra. | [25] | ||
| Carl Michael Gräns | 2019–2022 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra and Yaoundé. | [26] | ||
| Annika Hahn-Englund | September 2022 – 2025 | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra and Yaoundé. | [27] | ||
| Anna Westerholm | 2025–present | Ambassador | Dual accreditation to Accra and Yaoundé.[28] | 4 December 2025 | [29][30] | |
Gallery
Ambassador Inger Ultvedt (2016–2019).
Ambassador Carl Michael Gräns (2019–2022).
