Nigeria and Israel have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, with discussions centred on security, health, technology, and economic cooperation.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, restated Nigeria’s position when the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, paid her a courtesy visit at Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Dr Magnus Eze, discussions between both officials covered defence and intelligence, economic cooperation, consular matters, religious tourism, and bilateral and multilateral relations.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria could benefit from Israel’s expertise in border security management, particularly amid ongoing efforts to tackle insurgency and terrorism.
She noted that enhanced cooperation would be further strengthened if the Nigeria–Israel Joint Commission was fully operationalised.
The minister also commended Israel’s pledge to donate about 60 fully equipped ambulances to Nigeria, describing the initiative as timely.
“These kinds of initiatives are very significant because we have challenges regarding first responders. For me, this is just the beginning of integrating an ambulance culture in Nigeria,” she said.
On his part, Freeman said Israel was keen to strengthen relations with Nigeria, describing the move as strategic, given Nigeria’s status as Africa’s most populous nation.
He stated that stronger ties would be driven by sustained international dialogue and official exchanges between both countries.
Freeman disclosed that Israel was already working with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health on the proposed ambulance donation.
“We want to donate 50 to 60 ambulances to Nigeria, starting with about three or four. This is a significant package to save lives. We will also make arrangements to train the personnel who will operate them,” he said.
The envoy added that Israeli agricultural technology would also be made available to Nigeria to boost food security.
The renewed engagement follows a Political Dialogue held in Abuja on August 11, 2025, between Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz.
At the meeting, both countries described security and terrorism as global concerns requiring collective support and cooperation. They agreed to deepen collaboration in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, surveillance financing, and security training.
The joint communiqué from the 2025 dialogue also highlighted mutual interest in technology and innovation for border management, agriculture, culture, tourism, consular and immigration matters, as well as study tours and sustained diplomatic engagement.
Both nations reiterated their commitment to a more robust bilateral relationship anchored on continuous dialogue and strategic cooperation.
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