Thinking back Andrew Obosi says: "It's no one's fault what happened. I enjoyed every bit of it."
We first met Andrew Obosi in October 2024. He lost his job at Northvolt Expansion when it closed down last autumn. He had moved to Skellefteå the year before with his teacher wife and three children, who had all become fluent in Swedish. When Norran English met him he was spending all his time looking for a job while studying for a master’s.
– Look! I’m 44. This is the time of my life when I need to work. I don’t want government support. I want to work, he said at the time.
After the first Norran article Andrew Obosi became recognised by locals and received attention from other media.
– I went in to a petrol station and the lady there said “Oh, you’re the one in the paper”. I even got phone calls from journalists from Stockholm, from all over the place, and they wanted to speak with me. It's not like I’m a star or something.
So where is he now? When Norran English reaches him he is taking a walk after work in Boden.
– My situation is fine. At the end of last year I moved my family to Uppsala where my wife got a job as a teacher at an international school.
Andrew went to all networking meetings he could in Skellefteå last year and met with several employers at the event organised by Skellefteå municipality in November. Several job offers came off that and he first worked at a Microsoft data centre project in Gävle. In May he started working for Stegra in Boden in a health and safety role which is his area of expertise. In between his stints in Boden he goes back home to his family in Uppsala.
– I still come to Skellefteå sometimes on weekends. Skellefteå will always remain in my heart forever, I love it so much. Maybe in the future I will have a reason to come back there.
What do you think of the response from the municipality and government agencies?
– In health and safety we talk about an emergency planning cycle and I would say what happened at Northvolt is comparable to a natural disaster. There is no way you can plan for that so what you're left with is your response plan and I think the response plan they had was good.
Andrew Obosi maintains a very positive attitude when he talks about the past year and about life in general.
– It's no one's fault what happened. I enjoyed every bit of it. I have no regrets for even one day. If I'm given the opportunity I'll do it all over again without looking back. My kids still miss their friends and their life there but it’s no one’s fault.
He has high hopes of a buyer starting up the factory again and keeping the production going. If that happens he would like to come back.
– Yes, I love the city. It’s a good place, friendly. And I'm the kind of person that don't like the hustle and bustle of the big city. I like it a little bit laid back, quiet and nice.
Andrew Obosi and his family have left Skellefteå but they hope to be able to come back.
What are your hopes for the future?
– I hope that I will be able to live a good life, have good health and take care of the younger ones, our kids. I don't know what tomorrow will bring for me or where the next career path will turn up. I have an open mind to life so whatever life brings, we try to make the best out of it.
Andrew Obosi only has positive things to say about working at Northvolt.
– I keep telling people, Northvolt was a beautiful place. We enjoyed it, it was a fun place to work. All the pressure and timelines and everything, all the troubles - this is the spice of life. These are the things that make life interesting. And then it ended where it ended.
Some of Andrew’s friends and former colleagues are still looking for work and some have moved to other places, one as far away as Australia. He would like to reassure other people in a difficult situation.
– So, people who are out there looking for something, I would just say it's not the end of life. Look at it and look at the end of the tunnel, there will always be a life. So, don't despair, don't give up, don't lose hope. There is always something else.