Israel has expressed readiness to deepen bilateral cooperation with Nigeria across critical sectors, including innovation, agriculture, healthcare, security, education, and skills development.
Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, made the commitment on Monday during the celebration of the 78th anniversary of the independence of the State of Israel, organised by the Israeli Embassy in Abuja.
Freeman described the growing relationship between both countries as a strategic partnership aimed at fostering sustainable development and economic growth.
According to him, expanding Israeli-Nigerian cooperation should be viewed not as charity but as an investment in a shared future.
“The future of Israeli-Nigeria relations will not be defined by speeches. It will be defined by entrepreneurs who build companies, farmers who increase their harvests, doctors and paramedics who save lives, and young people who refuse to accept limitations,” he said.
He added that remarkable outcomes could be achieved when Nigerian ingenuity is combined with Israeli innovation.
The ambassador noted that Nigeria possesses immense potential, driven by its youthful population, entrepreneurial culture, abundant agricultural resources, and determination to succeed.
Freeman highlighted the role of the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) programme, through which young Nigerian entrepreneurs collaborate with Israeli and Nigerian mentors to transform innovative ideas into viable businesses.
According to him, the initiative is helping to create jobs and develop practical solutions to real-world challenges.
“I am pleased to announce that we are committing to a fifth-quarter coordinated programme for 2027. In agriculture, Israeli companies are already operating in Nigeria and contributing to sectoral development,” he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said Nigeria and Israel share a longstanding relationship built on mutual respect, cooperation, and a common commitment to transformation and community development.
Musawa noted that despite geographical differences, both nations are connected by rich cultural heritage, diversity, and a shared appreciation of the role of community in national progress.
She said Nigeria, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, remains committed to exploring new opportunities for collaboration with Israel, particularly in the areas of arts, culture, tourism, and the creative economy.
“Today, as Nigeria advances its vision of building a vibrant political economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we recognise significant opportunities for deepening collaboration with Israel in the fields of arts, culture, tourism, and showcasing the richness of our people,” the minister said.
