Israel advocates investment in innovative technology to tackle insecurity
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Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel-Harpaz has underscored the need for adequate investment in innovative technology as a means of addressing the security situation.
Haskel-Harpaz made this known while briefing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, on the sidelines of a high-level bilateral engagement during her working visit to Nigeria.
According to her, Israel’s investment in Nigeria through the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) and other platforms has further deepened collaborations between both countries.
Haskel-Harpaz said that Israel has collaboration in various fields, which is evident in its bilateral relationship with Nigeria, something it doesn’t do in every country.
She said, “These special projects are very close to our hearts. We usually keep them for very friendly countries, which we have good ties.
“I-FAIR, is one of our bilateral projects going on for 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 the good bilateral friendship the two countries have will be translated to the multilateral arena as well.”
The minister expressed the hope that during difficult times, friends of Israel would always stand beside the country.
She said that Israel would continue to deepen relations with Nigeria through people-to-people, parliament-to-parliament, and government-to-government levels.
“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 there are so many incredible miracles that have happened during the last two years against all forecasts.
“This is, in terms of the economic and military forecasts, and we overcame those challenges. The big part of it is the love and prayer people all around the world send to us and to the holy land,” she said.
The minister noted that faith-based diplomacy was also a key point in Israel’s relationship at the people-to-people level, and projects that create those strong bonds.
She also promised to deepen collaboration with Nigeria in key areas including counter-terrorism, intelligence, information sharing, security financing, and training.
The Israeli envoy also lauded the mutual friendship that exists between Nigeria and Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack, which resulted in the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
“More can be done, including having a clear statement from the Nigerian government, about the designation of terrorist organisations and their actions, as well to tackle the issue head-on.
“At the end of the day, the war we are fighting against terrorist organisations are not just in the military front. They are also on social media and in the general media,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Sonny Echono, Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) commended Israel’s support toward advancing innovation in Nigeria, to be capable of driving national growth.
According to him, government patronage through sustained funding and citizens’ support in consuming innovative products in Nigeria would help boost revenue and reinvest in product development.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the event, Echolonu explained that countries achieve meaningful growth through such efforts.
“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.
“This is achievable through creativity, investments and efficient exploitation to bring about value addition in the country,” Echono said.
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