Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel-Harpaz, has emphasised the importance of investing in innovative technology as a means of addressing security challenges.
Haskel-Harpaz made this known on Tuesday in Abuja, while briefing journalists on the sidelines of a high-level bilateral engagement during her working visit to Nigeria.
According to her, Israel’s investment in Nigeria through initiatives like the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) and other platforms has further deepened collaboration between the two countries.
She noted that Israel engages in bilateral projects in selected countries, and Nigeria is among those with which it shares special ties.
“These special projects are very close to our heart. We usually keep them for very friendly countries with whom we have strong ties,” she said.
“i-FAIR is one of our bilateral projects ongoing in Nigeria, and it doesn’t happen in other countries. This is something the Israeli Embassy in Nigeria has been pushing for years now.
We are hoping that the good bilateral friendship between the two countries will also be translated into the multilateral arena.”
Haskel-Harpaz expressed hope that during difficult times, friends of Israel would continue to stand by the country.
She affirmed that Israel would continue to strengthen ties with Nigeria through people-to-people, parliament-to-parliament, and government-to-government cooperation.
“I know that millions of people in Nigeria have been praying for Israel and for the safety of our people. We are so grateful for that, and this is an opportunity for us to say thank you.
Israel is the Holy Land, and so many incredible miracles have happened during the last two years against all forecasts economically and militarily.
A big part of it is the love and prayers people around the world send to us and to the Holy Land.”
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She also noted that faith-based diplomacy plays a key role in Israel’s people-to-people relations and in fostering strong cultural and spiritual bonds.
The minister pledged to deepen cooperation with Nigeria in key areas including counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, security financing, and training.
She also commended the enduring friendship between Nigeria and Israel, especially in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack, which she described as the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
“More can be done, including a clear statement from the Nigerian government about the designation of terrorist organizations and their actions, to tackle the issue head-on.
At the end of the day, the war we are fighting against terrorist organizations is not only on the military front it’s also on social media and in mainstream media.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), commended Israel’s support for advancing innovation in Nigeria, describing it as a critical driver of national growth.
Echono emphasised that sustained government funding and public patronage of locally innovated products would boost revenue and reinvestment into product development.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the event, he noted:
“We need to harness our resources. Our population is expanding, yet we are sharing from the same pot. We have to grow that pot.
The only way to do it is through innovation achievable through creativity, investments, and the efficient exploitation of resources to add value in the country.”
