BREAKING: Nigeria, Israel Mull Joint Commission, High-Level Dialogue as Minister Seeks Support in Tackling Food Insecurity

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the State of Israel are exploring the establishment of a joint commission aimed at strengthening their bilateral relations.

Israel has expressed its eagerness to enhance trade with Nigeria while collaborating in critical areas such as security, agriculture, health, education, and film production.

During a meeting with Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Michael Freeman, at the Tafawa Balewa House in Abuja, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, shared these insights.

In a statement by her Special Assistant on Communication & New Media, Magnus Eze,   Amb. Ojukwu while empasising the importance of people-to-people contacts in effective diplomacy, expressed her hope for closer ties between the two nations and the expansion of collaborative efforts.

She thanked the ambassador for proposing a high-level dialogue in Abuja, assuring that both parties would work diligently to realise this initiative.

Ojukwu stated, “Israel is renowned for its expertise in security and counter-terrorism. We aim to extend our collaboration beyond bilateral relations, particularly in leveraging Israel’s technology to address food security.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda, championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is committed to uplifting the most impoverished segments of our society. The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs is focused on ensuring that those living in poverty have access to food and other essential humanitarian services.

“We are particularly interested in learning more about drip irrigation technology, as rice is a staple food in Nigeria. We are eager to adopt any technology that will enable us to increase rice production significantly.

“While the current trade volume of two hundred and fifty million dollars is modest, we hope that prospective investors will visit Israel to explore export opportunities. We seek deeper collaborations, and we are pleased to note the ongoing partnerships in the security sector.

“We propose the establishment of a joint commission to facilitate the evaluation and advancement of our bilateral relations.

“Additionally, we hope to form a bilateral agreement in the realm of Nollywood production, which is a thriving industry in Nigeria, and we are keen to collaborate in this area.”

Ojukwu also highlighted Nigeria’s significant contribution to religious tourism in Israel and called for citizenship to be granted to Nigerians who have resided in Israel for five years without criminal records.

Furthermore, the Minister expressed her condolences to Israel following the attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, calling the events a grave affront to humanity. She voiced optimism that, after the current ceasefire, tensions would ease and remaining hostages would be released.

“When the October 7 attacks occurred, it was a traumatic experience for many. What transpired was a horrifying mark on humanity, unimaginable in the 21st century. I would like to extend my condolences to the State of Israel. This administration acknowledges the seriousness of these events, and when we express ‘never again’, we hope the world will strive to build a more harmonious structure to prevent such violence from occurring in the future.

“It is important to recognise the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and we are eager to understand what the future holds for the region,” the minister expressed.

Earlier, Ambassador Freeman remarked on the rich diplomatic history between Israel and Nigeria. He congratulated the Minister on her recent appointment and expressed optimism that her involvement would invigorate the relationship between the two countries.

He noted that the volume of trade between Nigeria and Israel stood at $250 million before the Hamas conflict and expressed hope for improvement moving forward.

The Israeli envoy affirmed, “There is significant potential for a robust partnership with Nigeria, particularly in agriculture, water management, education, and health.

“With drip irrigation technology, we can cultivate rice in any location. Next week, I will demonstrate this by planting rice on our embassy farm. We hope Nigeria will seize the opportunity presented by this advanced technology in rice production.

“We also aspire to develop projects in health, including advanced surgeries and malaria initiatives. Our early education programmes are performing well, and we have the i-FAIR innovative entrepreneurship mentorship programme in Nigeria—designed to nurture future business leaders and innovators. We have trained 2,000 individuals and aim to double that number, focusing on knowledge transfer to Nigerians without necessitating travel to Israel.”

He added that there is a film co-production agreement between the two nations that has been “stuck in the Nigerian system for over a year now,” but he is aware that Israel and Nigeria are currently collaborating on a movie project.

Ambassador Freeman further said that Israel will be happy to have high level dialogue with Nigeria; “a practical dialogue that will be positive to us.”

He also updated the minister on the conflict with Hamas stressing that Israel had no territorial ambition in Gaza.

“Israel has no territorial desire or ambition. We don’t have any plans of staying in Lebanon. We left Gaza in 2005 and have no ambition to remain there but we can’t allow Hamas to control Gaza,” the ambassador said.

Director, Office of the Honourable Minister of State, Ambassador Innocent Iwejuo and Consul, Israeli Embassy, Abuja, Ms Inbar Lipman Garden, participated in the meeting.