The Federal Government has commended the outgoing Ambassador of the State of Israel to Nigeria and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Michael Freeman, for deepening diplomatic and strategic relations between Nigeria and Israel during his tour of duty.
The commendation came during Ambassador Freeman’s farewell visit as he concluded his diplomatic assignment in Nigeria.
Officials said the envoy strengthened cooperation between both countries in technology, agriculture, healthcare, security, innovation and trade, laying a solid foundation for stronger bilateral engagement.
During his tenure, Freeman championed Israel’s partnership with Nigeria on artificial intelligence through the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) programme and promoted collaboration between Nigerian innovators and Israel’s technology ecosystem.
He also facilitated discussions on Israel’s commitment to donate about 60 fully equipped ambulances to improve Nigeria’s emergency response system while supporting professional exchanges and capacity building in the health sector.
In agriculture, the ambassador advanced cooperation on food security through joint research and the adoption of Israeli expertise in water management, precision agriculture and climate-smart farming technologies.
On security, he engaged Nigerian authorities on defence technology, intelligence sharing and border security cooperation to support efforts to combat insurgency and cross-border crimes.
Commending the ambassador’s contributions, Nigerian officials said, “During his tenure, Ambassador Freeman worked strategically towards deepening relations between Nigeria and Israel and built a solid foundation for even stronger engagement.”
They added that “he served as his nation’s ambassador to Nigeria at a critical period in national and global affairs and fostered greater understanding and cohesion between our two nations.”
Speaking during the farewell visit, Ambassador Freeman described his posting in Nigeria as “a very interesting one,” adding that Nigeria is “an amazing country” blessed with “warm and hospitable people.”
He reaffirmed “Israel’s commitment to continued cooperation with Nigeria,” expressing confidence that the relationship between both countries would continue to grow.
Appreciating the envoy’s service, Nigerian officials wished him success in his future assignments, saying, “We thank Ambassador Freeman for his service and wish him sterling accomplishments in his future roles.”