Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Israel on defence and intelligence cooperation, economic relations, consular matters, religious tourism, and collaboration at bilateral and multilateral levels.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu made the affirmation when she received the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, on a courtesy visit in Abuja.
She said “Nigeria stands to benefit significantly from Israel’s expertise in border security management, particularly as the country continues its fight against insurgency and terrorism.”
She noted that enhanced cooperation in this area would be more effective with the operationalisation of the Nigeria–Israel Joint Commission.
The Minister also commended Israel’s pledge to donate between 50 and 60 fully equipped ambulances to Nigeria, describing the initiative as timely and impactful.
“These kinds of initiatives are very significant because we have a problem regarding first responders. For me, it’s just the beginning of integrating ambulance culture in Nigeria,” Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
In his remarks, Ambassador Freeman said “Israel was keen to strengthen ties with Nigeria, describing the relationship as strategic given Nigeria’s position as Africa’s most populous nation.”
He noted that sustained international dialogue and high-level official visits would further consolidate bilateral relations.
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Ambassador Freeman said that “Israel is already working with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health to facilitate the donation of the ambulances, beginning with an initial batch of three or four units.”
He said that Israel would also provide training for personnel who would operate the emergency vehicles.
“We want to donate 50–60 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 people that are going to man them,” Ambassador Freeman stated.
Beyond health cooperation, he revealed that Israeli agricultural technology would be made available to Nigeria to support food security efforts.
The renewed engagement builds on earlier diplomatic exchanges between both countries. On August 11, 2025, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz, held a comprehensive Political Dialogue in Abuja, underscoring what both sides described as an enduring and strategic partnership.
According to parts of the joint communiqué issued after the meeting, both countries agreed that security and terrorism are global challenges requiring collective support and cooperation.
They emphasised the need to deepen collaboration in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, security training and efforts to curb terrorism financing.
The communiqué also highlighted plans to strengthen cooperation at the multilateral level, expand collaboration in technology and innovation for border management, build capacity, and promote exchanges in culture, tourism, agriculture, as well as consular and immigration matters.
Both sides further agreed to facilitate study tours and maintain constant dialogue to ensure a more robust bilateral relationship going forward.