In a bid to deepen innovation and technology collaboration with Nigeria, the Israeli Embassy has partnered with Innov8 hub to advance artificial intelligence (AI) adoption and youth entrepreneurship following a four-day Entrepreneurship and Innovation Bootcamp in Abuja.
The programme, themed “From Ideas to Impact: Building AI-Enabled Ventures for the Future,” was organised by Inno8 Hub in collaboration with the Embassy of Israel in Nigeria and Unistream. It brought together young innovators, startup founders and researchers for practical training on artificial intelligence applications in business development.
Michael Freeman,  Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, said the initiative was part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation in technology and innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence, adding that the focus was on equipping young Nigerians with tools to build scalable ventures.
Freeman, who anchored the initiative on Israel’s IFAIR programme launched in 2020, said artificial intelligence should be viewed as a driver of productivity and job creation rather than job displacement.
“Your future is in Nigeria. Everything you need to succeed is here,” he said, adding that AI would help improve efficiency, expand opportunities and strengthen businesses.
He said Israel was expanding its focus on artificial intelligence and would continue to share expertise with Nigeria beyond the current programme, describing the engagement as the beginning of a long-term partnership.
A lead facilitator from Unistream, Dor Yaacov, said the programme highlighted the global relevance of challenges being addressed by Nigerian innovators, particularly in sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture and sustainability.
He said initial perceptions about Nigeria changed during the programme, describing participants as highly creative and solution-oriented.
“We came with concern, but that concern disappeared completely. We found warmth, creativity and inspiration,” he said.
Gregory Ibe Jr.,  Managing Director,  Innov8 Hub, said the training focused on positioning artificial intelligence as a productivity tool to improve efficiency, support business growth and create jobs.
He said about 20 teams participated alongside Innov8 Hub staff, adding that the programme marked a key step in strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem through international collaboration.
Gregory said the partnership with the Israeli Embassy reflected a growing model of innovation diplomacy aimed at building local capacity and supporting startups.
The bootcamp ended with stakeholders reaffirming commitment to deepen Israel–Nigeria cooperation in artificial intelligence, youth entrepreneurship and digital innovation to support sustainable economic growth.

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