Nigeria’s Bilateral Relations with Israel: Trade, Security, and the Palestinian Question

This study examines Nigeria's bilateral relationship with Israel, analysing the intersections of trade and investment links, security cooperation, and Nigeria's diplomatic positions on the Palestinian question in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nigeria maintains formal diplomatic relations with Israel and has received Israeli agricultural technology assistance and security cooperation, while simultaneously maintaining formal solidarity with Palestinian statehood aspirations and significant domestic Muslim constituency expectations on the issue. Drawing on two-level game theory and identity-interest conflict frameworks, this research analyses the management of this diplomatic tension from 2019 to 2024, with particular attention to Nigeria's voting behaviour on UN resolutions concerning Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attacks and subsequent Israeli military operations. The study employs a qualitative methodology, drawing on UN General Assembly voting records, bilateral diplomatic communiques, Nigerian government statements, civil society position papers, and interviews with Middle East policy experts at the NIIA. Findings are expected to demonstrate that Nigeria manages Israel-Palestine tensions through deliberate ambiguity, maintaining bilateral economic and security ties with Israel while offering qualified rhetorical support for Palestinian rights in multilateral forums to manage domestic political expectations. Recommendations address developing a more principled and transparent Nigerian Middle East policy framework. Keywords: Nigeria-Israel relations, Palestine, bilateral diplomacy, two-level game, UN voting.