Nigeria’s newly appointed Ambassador to Israel, Nkechi Ufochukwu, has officially assumed office after presenting her Letters of Credence to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on Tuesday, said the ceremony took place in Jerusalem on Monday, formally marking the commencement of Ufochukwu’s diplomatic assignment.

According to the ministry, the presentation of the Letters of Credence reaffirms the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening the longstanding bilateral relations between Nigeria and Israel.

Speaking after the ceremony, Ufochukwu conveyed the goodwill of President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian people to the Government and people of Israel, while reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to deepening cooperation between both countries.

“I look forward to deepening ties between the two nations in my capacity as the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the State of Israel. Our focus will be on expanding cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” she said.

The ambassador identified trade and investment, agriculture and food security, technology and innovation, defence and security cooperation, healthcare, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges, as priority areas during her tenure.

Receiving the Nigerian envoy, President Herzog expressed Israel’s readiness to work closely with Nigeria to advance shared interests, particularly in the areas of innovation and counter-terrorism.

Ufochukwu is among the 65 ambassadors-designate whose appointments were approved by President Tinubu on March 6, 2026, following their confirmation by the Senate in December 2025. The appointments comprise 34 career diplomats and 31 political ambassadors.