Photo caption: Israel Ambassador Michael Freeman
The State of Israel has disclosed that it has ongoing agricultural cooperation with Nigeria, noting that Israeli technology and seedlings are already being deployed by Nigerian farmers.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday night during Israel’s 78th Independence Anniversary celebration, the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, said Israeli companies were already operating in Nigeria. He added that while the seeds being planted were Israeli and supported by Israeli technology, the land and workers remained Nigerian.
He added that cooperation between both countries was expanding across innovation, agriculture, healthcare, security, education and skills development, describing the initiatives as investments in a shared future.
“When it comes to agriculture, Israeli companies are already working in Nigeria today. As you leave this evening, you will receive a box of vegetables.
“These vegetables were grown from Israeli seedlings using Israeli technology but grown by Nigerian farmers on Nigerian soil. Hold that box for a moment and think about what it represents. Not vegetables, possibility.
“Imagine that success multiplied across Nigeria. Higher yields, stronger rural communities, greater food security and millions upon millions of lives improved.”
The ambassador also announced further commitments aimed at deepening Israel’s partnership with Nigeria, including the launch of a fifth cohort of its entrepreneurship programme and the donation of three fully equipped ambulances.
“I’m pleased to announce tonight that we are committing to a fifth cohort of the programme for 2027. Today, I’m also pleased to announce that the first three fully equipped ambulances donated by Israel are on their way to Nigeria.
“These ambulances will help save lives, where every minute counts, but they’re more than vehicles. They’re a symbol of partnership. They’re a symbol of what can happen when countries choose cooperation as a solution over slogans. We are expanding cooperation in innovation, agriculture, healthcare, security, education and skills development, not because these are acts of charity.
“They are investments in a shared future. The future of Israeli-Nigerian relations will not be defined by speeches. It will be defined by entrepreneurs who build companies. It will be defined by farmers who produce more. It will be defined by doctors and paramedics. It will be defined by young people who refuse to accept limitations because when Nigerian creativity meets Israeli innovation, extraordinary things happen,” he said.
Speaking further, Freeman said Israel’s rise from a resource-constrained nation to a global technology hub was driven by its determination to turn challenges into opportunities.
“For 78 years, Israel has been making miracles happen. Transforming deserts into farmland, scarcity into abundance, ideas into technologies and challenges into opportunities.
“For just 650,000 people, we had no oil, we had no vast natural resources. Much of our land was desert. We faced existential threats from the moment independence was declared. Yet, we refused to accept that geography was destiny. We learned how to grow food in the desert. We pioneered drip irrigation and precision agriculture.
“We turned seawater into drinking water. We became a global leader in medicine, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and innovation. Israel did not become a technological powerhouse because our challenges were small. Israel became a technological powerhouse because our challenges were enormous. We learned that every problem contained within it a seed of opportunity, and that lesson has shaped our nation ever since,” he said.
The envoy stressed that Nigeria possesses immense potential, citing its youthful population, entrepreneurial drive and agricultural resources, adding that both countries could achieve more through stronger collaboration.
According to him, the Israel-supported IFARE programme has continued to empower young Nigerian entrepreneurs through mentorship and business development initiatives.
Also speaking, the Minister of Art, Culture and Tourism, Hannatu Musawa, congratulated the government and people of Israel on the country’s 78th Independence Anniversary and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to stronger bilateral ties.
She described the relationship between both countries as one built on cooperation, economic transformation and shared values.
“Nigeria and Israel share a long-lasting relationship, founded on cooperation, economic transformation, partnership and community.
“While our nations are separated by geography, we are united by a rich tapestry of cultural diversity and interdependent energy,” she said.
Musawa said Nigeria was keen on deepening collaboration with Israel in culture, tourism, agriculture, innovation and the creative economy.
The minister added that cultural diplomacy remained one of the strongest tools for strengthening relations between nations, promoting education, economic growth and people-to-people exchanges.
