Nigeria and Israel have renewed commitments to strengthen their strategic partnership, with expanded collaboration planned in border security, counter-terrorism, healthcare delivery, agricultural technology and innovation.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this in Abuja during a high-level meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman.
Central to the discussions was Nigeria’s ongoing counter-insurgency effort. Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted Israel’s expertise in border management and intelligence coordination as a model from which Nigeria could draw operational lessons. She stressed that enhanced cooperation in defence, intelligence sharing and specialised security training would strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to respond to evolving threats.
She also called for the activation of the long-standing Nigeria–Israel Joint Commission to provide an institutional framework for implementing bilateral agreements and converting diplomatic engagement into measurable outcomes.
Beyond security, both countries signalled readiness to scale up cooperation in the health sector. Israel has pledged to donate between 50 and 60 fully equipped ambulances to Nigeria in phases, alongside training for emergency response personnel.
Describing the initiative as transformative, the minister said Nigeria’s emergency response architecture requires urgent reinforcement, particularly in strengthening first-responder systems across states and rural communities. She noted that institutionalising an effective ambulance culture would significantly improve survival outcomes in critical medical situations.
Freeman described Nigeria as a strategic partner, citing its demographic strength and continental leadership role as central to Israel’s diplomatic engagement in Africa. He said deepening ties with Abuja aligns with Israel’s broader outreach strategy in agriculture, technology and innovation.
According to him, arrangements are underway with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health for the phased delivery of the ambulances, beginning with an initial batch of three to four units. He added that Israel is prepared to expand access to its agricultural technologies to support Nigeria’s food security objectives.
The renewed engagement builds on earlier diplomatic exchanges. In August 2025, Odumegwu-Ojukwu held political consultations in Abuja with Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz, during which both sides emphasised the global dimension of terrorism and the need for coordinated international action.
At that meeting, the two countries agreed to intensify cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence exchange — particularly in tracking terror financing — border innovation, agriculture, culture, tourism and multilateral diplomacy, alongside regular consultations and institutional exchange programmes.
Wednesday’s meeting signals continuity in that trajectory, as Abuja and Jerusalem seek to translate diplomatic goodwill into concrete partnerships aimed at enhancing security resilience, strengthening healthcare systems and advancing technological capacity.
