Nigeria and Israel have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with renewed focus on defence, security, agriculture, technology, healthcare and trade.
The commitment was made during a valedictory visit by the outgoing Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the Minister’s Media Aide, Magnus Eze, Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended Ambassador Freeman for what she described as a successful diplomatic tenure, noting that he had laid a solid foundation for his successor to build upon.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Israel, particularly in the areas of counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, capacity building, border security and water resource management.
She noted that Nigeria is keen to leverage Israel’s expertise in security and agricultural innovation to address key national development challenges.
In his remarks, Ambassador Freeman reiterated Israel’s commitment to deepening its partnership with Nigeria across multiple sectors.
He observed that the current annual trade volume between both countries, estimated at about $200 million, falls short of its full potential and expressed optimism that stronger collaboration would significantly boost economic ties.
Describing Nigeria as “an amazing country,” the outgoing envoy pledged Israel’s continued engagement to unlock greater opportunities in trade, investment, innovation and other areas of mutual interest.
Both countries expressed confidence that enhanced cooperation would further strengthen diplomatic relations and promote shared economic growth and security.
