Trade to rise as Israel-Nigeria direct flight restarts in March

• Published date: 19 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Nigeria's anti-terror fight to get intelligence boost

Bilateral relations and trade between Israel and Nigeria will rise with the commencement of direct flights between both countries as from March, Israeli authorities have said.

The Deputy Director General of African Department in the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Sharon Bar-Li, said this while meeting with some Nigerian journalists on a media tour yesterday in Jerusalem.

Bar-Li said the direct flights would further cement the relations between Africa and the Middle East.

'Once we are able to inaugurate direct flights between Nigeria and Israel, we are going to see a boost because right now, there is no gateway for Israel into Africa.

'As a former Ambassador to Ghana, I can tell you that it is very difficult once you do not have a direct flight. Once this route starts working, we are going to see a huge change.

'We are going to see business flourishing; people will be able to come and go easily. We will see a pilgrimage,' she said.

The director general described Nigeria as a very religious country whose citizens, Christians and Muslims, go to Israel on pilgrimage.

'Do not forget that Jerusalem is a sacred place for three religions, not just to Christianity, not just to Judaism, but also to Islam, where people come to mount to do little hajj.'

Also, Israel has expressed its readiness to support Nigeria in intelligence sharing, modern combat equipment and extraction of relevant information to effectively win the ongoing war against terrorism.

Retired Lt.-Col. Jonathan Konricus, who served in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), said this in...