The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has paid tribute to the outgoing Ambassador of the State of Israel to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, His Excellency Michael Freeman, as his tour of duty comes to an end.
In a post on her X handle on Tuesday, Ojikwu described the farewell visit as engaging, noting that Ambassador Freeman was energetic and focused during his tenure on strengthening bilateral ties between Israel and Nigeria.
According to her, the Ambassador championed partnerships in technology, agriculture, healthcare, security, and innovation.
In technology, he drove Israel’s roadmap to partner with Nigeria on artificial intelligence applications and creating an African voice in global AI through the i-FAIR, Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers, program. He also fostered tech startup ecosystems by encouraging joint ventures between Nigerian inventors and Israeli technology frameworks.
In healthcare, Ambassador Freeman anchored emergency medical support, including Israel’s commitment to donate about 60 fully equipped ambulances to improve Nigeria’s emergency response system. The initiative also promoted capacity building and professional exchanges in the health sector.
On agriculture and food security, Ojikwu said both countries engaged frequently on joint research between Israeli and Nigerian experts and farmers to tackle food security and climate change. Nigeria remains keen on leveraging Israeli expertise in water management, precision agriculture and modern agricultural technology.
On security, there were strategic dialogues on defense technology, intelligence sharing and border security frameworks to support Nigeria’s efforts against insurgency and cross-border crimes.
“Security remains at the heart of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s development agenda, and it goes without saying that sustainable economic growth cannot be achieved without a secure environment,” Ojikwu stated.
She added that Ambassador Freeman worked strategically to deepen relations between Nigeria and Israel and built a solid foundation for stronger engagement. He served during a critical period in national and global affairs and fostered greater understanding between both nations.
Ambassador Freeman described his tour of duty in Nigeria as “very interesting” and called Nigeria “an amazing country” blessed with warm and hospitable people, while reaffirming Israel’s commitment to continued cooperation.
“Whilst extending the appreciation of the Government and People of Nigeria, Ambassador Freeman, we wish you sterling accomplishments in your future roles. Shalom,” Ojikwu concluded.
Bianca Ojikwu bids farewell to outgoing Israeli Ambassador Michael Freeman
