Israel Commits to Deeper AI Collaboration with Nigeria

The Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has pledged deeper collaboration with Nigeria in the field of artificial intelligence, saying the Israeli government will continue sharing its expertise to support job creation, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Freeman made the commitment on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Bootcamp 2026 held in Abuja, organised by Innov8 Hub under the theme “From Ideas to Impact: Building AI-Enabled Ventures for the Future.”

The four-day programme brought together young innovators, startup founders, researchers, and entrepreneurs for intensive training focused on AI-driven business development and innovation.

The ambassador said Israel is pursuing an ambitious strategy to become a global leader in artificial intelligence and is willing to share knowledge with Nigeria through ongoing and future partnerships.

“We are going all in on AI. We are going to be one of the world leaders in AI within the next few years,” he said.

Freeman added that Israel intends to expand cooperation beyond existing programmes, including broader engagement with the Nigerian government and private sector to strengthen innovation ecosystems in both countries.

He said the partnership represents a growing strategic relationship aimed at boosting technological development and creating opportunities for young people.

According to him, artificial intelligence should not be seen as a threat to jobs but as a tool for economic expansion, productivity, and entrepreneurship.

“AI not only doesn’t take away jobs; it’s going to help you create jobs,” he said, urging Nigerian youths to harness technology to build solutions tailored to local challenges.

Freeman also encouraged young innovators to remain and build their future within Nigeria, stressing that opportunities for success exist locally despite global migration trends.

Earlier, a facilitator from Unistream, Dor Yaakov, praised Nigerian participants for their creativity, noting that many of the solutions developed during the bootcamp addressed issues in education, healthcare, agriculture, and sustainability.

He expressed confidence that Nigerian startups emerging from such programmes could achieve global impact in the future.

The Managing Director of Innov8 Hub, Gregory Ibe Jr., described the initiative as a productivity-focused AI programme designed to enhance business efficiency rather than replace workers.

He said the collaboration would continue, with future editions expected to expand participation and deepen impact across Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

The event reinforced growing cooperation between Nigeria and Israel in technology, security, health, and economic development, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence.