The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has announced the country’s willingness to enhance collaboration with Nigeria in advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications on a global scale.
Freeman made this statement during the closing ceremony of the inaugural Innovation Week organized by the Embassy for the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (i-FAIR) programme participants, held on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event aims to equip participants with the skills necessary to become innovators, startup founders, researchers, and entrepreneurs in the fields of innovation and AI-driven business development.
The event commenced on June 1, under the theme: “From Ideas to Impact: Building AI-Enabled Ventures for the Future”.
According to the Israeli envoy, AI not only has the potential to displace jobs but also lacks a distinct Nigerian or African voice; however, it can facilitate job creation and serve as a tool to enhance both individuals and products in business operations. “What we have accomplished today is to ensure that the more AI is utilized, the more a Nigerian and African voice will emerge in AI, thereby increasing its utility for people across the continent.
“This initiative is unprecedented. It marks the first occasion we have actively engaged with AI, as the Israeli government has resolved to fully commit to AI. “Our goal is to establish ourselves as one of the world leaders in AI within the next few years, and we have decided to share our knowledge with Nigeria, primarily through the iFAIR programme and other initiatives,” he stated.
He elaborated that the initiative aims to bolster expertise in AI and secure a brighter future, not just for Israelis, but also for Nigerians. Freeman emphasized that the only way to realize this goal is by strengthening the Israel-Nigeria partnership. This, he noted, involves focusing on leveraging AI to enhance human application capacity, improve job operations, and foster creativity in the workplace.
Dor Yaacov, the AI lead facilitator from Unistream, an Israeli non-profit organization dedicated to entrepreneurship development, stated that the application of AI could empower Africans to create sustainable solutions specifically designed to address local challenges.
He praised the participants for illustrating that Nigerian entrepreneurs have the potential to spearhead the development of solutions that can address not only local issues but also global ones through the utilization of AI.
Yaacov remarked, “This week, we encountered warm, intelligent, and highly creative individuals who are not merely discussing problems but are eager to resolve challenges in their everyday lives.
”The challenges encompass education, health, agriculture, sustainability, security, and community development.
”These represent genuine challenges faced by millions of people worldwide, which is why we will soon hear about startups from Nigeria that are addressing issues affecting millions.”
The event included presentations by representatives from the participating teams regarding AI operations, sharing knowledge about AI experiences, and the distribution of certificates.
Israel Pledges To Deepen Partnership With Nigeria To Bolster AI
