Nigeria eyes Israeli expertise in border security, agriculture
Nigeria is seeking to leverage Israel’s expertise in border security management and agricultural technology as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between both countries.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made this known when the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, paid her a courtesy visit at her office in Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
According to a statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Dr Magnus Eze, discussions at the meeting centred on defence and intelligence cooperation, economic collaboration, consular issues, religious tourism, as well as bilateral and multilateral relations.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted that Nigeria could benefit from Israel’s vast experience in border security, especially in view of the country’s ongoing fight against insurgency and terrorism. She added that such cooperation would be more productive if the Nigeria-Israel Joint Commission was fully operationalised.
The minister also welcomed Israel’s pledge to donate about 60 fully equipped ambulances to Nigeria, describing the initiative as a major boost to the nation’s emergency response system. “These kinds of initiatives are very significant because we have a problem regarding first responders. For me, it is just the beginning of integrating ambulance culture in Nigeria,” she said.
In his remarks, Ambassador Freeman expressed Israel’s readiness to deepen relations with Nigeria, describing the partnership as strategic given Nigeria’s status as Africa’s most populous nation.
He disclosed that Israel was already collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health to facilitate the ambulance donation and would provide training for personnel who would operate them. He added that Israeli agricultural technology would also be made available to Nigeria to enhance food security.
The meeting followed a political dialogue held on August 11 last year in Abuja between Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz, which both sides described as comprehensive and productive.
