Israel commits to deeper AI collaboration with Nigeria

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

Freeman made the commitment at the closing ceremony of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Bootcamp 2026 held in Abuja.

The four-day programme, organised by Innov8 Hub under the theme, “From Ideas to Impact: Building AI-Enabled Ventures for the Future,” brought together young innovators, startup founders, researchers and entrepreneurs for intensive training on innovation and AI-driven business development.

Speaking during the event, the envoy said Israel had adopted an ambitious strategy to become one of the world’s leading AI nations and was willing to share its knowledge with Nigeria through existing 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,” Freeman said.

He added, “We want to share that knowledge where we can with Nigeria, primarily through Innov8, but through other places. And I will make a commitment now that this was the first time we’ve done this. This will not be the last time that we share our knowledge with Nigeria.”

The ambassador said the collaboration would extend beyond the existing IFAIR programme and involve broader engagement with the Nigerian government and people.

“We will look at other opportunities to engage with the Nigerian government, to engage with the Nigerian people in order to bring more expertise and to bring more knowledge across so that together we can build a better future not only for Israel but also for Nigeria,” he said.

Describing the initiative as the beginning of a more strategic relationship, Freeman said, “This is an extension of the partnership that was already going, but it’s the beginning of a serious partnership that we’re going to look to do in the field of AI.”

The envoy also challenged the growing perception that artificial intelligence would eliminate jobs, arguing that the technology could instead become a powerful tool for employment generation and business growth.

According to him, AI offers an opportunity for Africans to develop solutions tailored to local challenges while ensuring that African perspectives are reflected in emerging technologies.

“AI not only doesn’t take away jobs; it’s going to help you create jobs. Not only is AI a tool that can be used; it’s a tool that can be used to make your products better, to make you better, to allow you to bring more Nigerians, more people into a more successful business,” he said.

Freeman noted that wider adoption of AI would help strengthen African representation in global technological development.

“The more that you use AI and the more that you engage with AI, the more there will be an African voice in AI, the more there will be a Nigerian voice in AI,” he added.

He urged young Nigerians to build their future within the country rather than seeking opportunities abroad.

“The message is that your future is in Nigeria, that everything you need to succeed, you can get here in Nigeria,” Freeman said.

“Your future’s not in Canada or in America or in Britain or in Australia or any other place in the world. Your future is here.”

Earlier, a lead facilitator from Unistream, an Israeli non-profit organisation focused on entrepreneurship development, Dor Yaakov, praised the creativity and problem-solving abilities displayed by participants during the programme.

According to him, the bootcamp demonstrated that Nigerian entrepreneurs were developing solutions capable of addressing not only African challenges but also global problems.

He added that the innovations presented by participants addressed challenges in education, healthcare, agriculture, sustainability and community development.

Yaakov expressed confidence that some of the ideas emerging from Nigeria would eventually evolve into globally successful startups.

“This is why I’m sure that we will hear about startups from Nigeria that succeed around the world and solve problems for millions of people,” he stated.

He also commended the role played by Innov8 Hub in hosting the programme and fostering innovation.

Speaking with journalists after the event, the Managing Director of Innov8 Hub, Gregory Ibe Jr., described the programme as a unique intervention designed to use AI to increase productivity and create employment rather than replace workers.

Ibe explained that the training focused on helping entrepreneurs deploy AI to strengthen businesses and expand economic opportunities.

“This was a unique programme in the sense that the AI was made for increasing the productivity of your business, not in the typical AI format that just looks to remove jobs and remove employment.

“This is an AI with the goal of actually increasing jobs, increasing the exposures that we have, increasing the efficiencies that people have,” he said.

According to him, about 20 teams participated in the programme alongside members of Innov8 Hub’s staff.

He expressed optimism that the collaboration would continue in the future.

The PUNCH earlier reported that Nigeria and Israel reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, with discussions centred on security, health, technology and economic cooperation.