By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

Following President Bola Tinubu’s promise to create over one million jobs during his administration, the Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, Mr Michael Freeman has reassured of his country’s commitment to partner with Nigeria towards realisation of the policy through digital economy.

The President had in his inaugural address on the 29th of May 2023, promised that at least one million youths will be gainfully employed in the digital economy under his administration.

Mr Freeman disclosed this at a press conference on the official inauguration of the 3rd cohort of the Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (I-FAIR) in Abuja.

He said Israel remains excited over plans to partner President Bola Tinubu’s administration to achieve meaning growth through digital technology, also that the first two editions of I-FAIR programme provided young Nigerians with mentorship and tools needed to take their ideas from theories to practical.

According to him, many I-FAIR graduates now have various businesses with fellow Nigerians contributing to the economic growth of their fatherland, saying the third edition of I-FAIR was thereby, officially inaugurated.

Freeman who is also Israel’s permanent representative to ECOWAS said, “This is the official launch of the 3rd I-FAIR programme; since President Tinubu was inaugurated and one of the key focus of his inaugural policy was improving and strengthening Nigeria’s economy.

 “He actually spoke specifically on a number of targets, to increase local and foreign investment in Nigeria, also to create one million jobs in the digital economy.

“Israel is the world leader in digital economy and it is also the world leader in manufacturing investment in several other places.

“We buy into this vision and we want to partner President Tinubu and his administration, to help create the environment for investment.

“To help create a million jobs in the digital economy and that is why we are here today, because the I-FAIR programme will help to create jobs, investment and new generation of entrepreneurial Nigerian innovators.”

He further said such would boost job creation in the economy through learning from Israeli experience whereby, 45per cent of the GDP is based on human capita and research development.

The Ambassador described I-FAIR as initiative of Israel through partnership with Nigeria with mandate to empower innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs, and had become flagship of Israel-Nigeria programmes, since their 60years of diplomatic relations.

Also speaking at the event, Iyinoluwa Aboyaji, Founding Partner of Future Africa, a private organisation, commended partnership between both countries to have helped in the development of youth innovation in Nigeria.

“This collaboration between Nigeria and Israel has been extremely fruitful, particularly in the area of helping us to commercialize the research and development that comes out from our University.

“Specifically, the partnership with the Innov8Hub programme, which is incredible; I am delighted with the President’s mandate for a million jobs in digital economy.

“It is extremely an important mandate, we are not going to get there without the support and knowledge that comes from collaborative partnership from country like Israel,” Aboyaji said.

He further urged young people to key into the Innov8Hub programme with zeal, as an opportunity to become successful through their innovation and skills development. I-FAIR is a 6month programme that provides selected participants access to expertise, technology, mentorship and network needed to develop products and businesses, as well as create advanced prototype and pitch to investors among other things.

Since the inception, two I-FAIR editions have been completed with 63 Fellows and 56 products developed under 1,300 mentorship hours and 100 ideas such as Thinkbike, Soiless farm labs, QuadloopAfrica and Eco Circilat Solution turned into enterprises.