The Israeli ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has underscored the need to adequately invest in education to advance the teaching and learning of the dangers of Holocaust.

Mr Freeman, the permanent representative of Israel to ECOWAS, said this on Friday in Abuja.

He said this at the Holocaust Memorial organised by the Israeli embassy in honour of those who lost their lives during the Second World War

UN General Assembly Resolution 60/7 that established the Holocaust and UN Outreach Programme, also designated for January 27 as annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of victims of the Holocaust.

Mr Freeman said, “79 years ago, millions of Jews were murdered. Holocaust began with words, hate speech, singing out and dehumanising of Jewish people; which many people looked the other way.

“After the world stood by as millions of people were murdered, we suddenly declared `Never Again’ Holocaust denial took 30-years before it became widespread phenomenon today.

“Education is critical if we have to reverse the trend: when it happened 6-million Jews were murdered, when we talk about the number, we talk about population of cities.”

The diplomat added, “Yet, it still remains an unimaginable number, the only way to understand the dangers of Holocaust are from expression by individuals.”

Walter Mulombo, UN resident coordinator and WHO country representative, who read the message of the UN secretary-general António Guterres, said there was a need for a collective efforts to end all forms of Holocaust.

“Today, we pause to mourn the six million Jewish children, women, and men systematically murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.

“We recognised the horrific resonance this day of commemoration finds in our own times, the antisemitic hate that fuelled the Holocaust.

“We did not start with the Nazis, nor did it end with their defeat,” he said

Cynthia Rowe, development director, (FCDO) of British High Commission in Nigeria said, “UK government is committed to creating education and research about the Holocaust.

“We are building new Holocaust-memorial in London expected to be completed in 2027; UK will take on the precedence on International Day in remembrance of the victims of Holocaust in March, 2024.”

(NAN)