Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening strategic ties with the State of Israel, with a particular focus on security, health, and technological cooperation.

This was made known during a courtesy visit by Michael Freeman, Israeli Ambassador to Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria, to the office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Abuja.

According to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the discussions spanned defence and intelligence, economic cooperation, consular relations, religious tourism, and bilateral and multilateral engagements.

The minister emphasised that Nigeria stands to benefit significantly from Israel’s expertise in border security management, especially amid ongoing efforts to combat insurgency and terrorism in the country.

“Many of these initiatives will be possible if the Nigeria-Israel Joint Commission is operationalized,” she said, highlighting the need for structured cooperation.

The minister also praised Israel’s commitment to donate about 60 fully equipped ambulances to Nigeria.

“These initiatives are very significant because we have a challenge regarding first responders. For me, it’s just the beginning of integrating ambulance culture in Nigeria,” she added.

On his part, Freeman noted that strengthening relations with Nigeria was a strategic priority for Israel, given the country’s position as Africa’s most populous nation.

He disclosed that Israel is working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health to facilitate the donation of the ambulances and to train personnel who will operate them.

“We want to donate 50–60 ambulances to Nigeria; starting with about three or four. This is a significant package to save lives,” Freeman said.

He also highlighted plans to make Israeli agricultural technology available to Nigeria to support national food security initiatives.

According to a statement by Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the meeting builds on prior engagements, including a Political Dialogue held in Abuja on August 11, 2025, between Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Miriam Haskel-Harpaz.

It noted that the dialogue produced a joint communique emphasising shared concerns over global security and terrorism, the need for counter-terrorism cooperation, intelligence sharing, and capacity building.

The communique also outlined broader areas of collaboration, including technology, innovation for border management, agriculture, culture, tourism, consular services, and immigration, while encouraging exchanges and study tours between the two countries.

“The dialogue underscored our commitment to a more robust bilateral relationship and continuous engagement,” the communique stated.