ABUJA — Nigeria and Indonesia are seeking to push bilateral trade beyond the $3 billion (£2.25 billion) mark annually while expanding cooperation in investment, technology transfer, industrialisation, agriculture, healthcare, and other key sectors, as both nations look to transform long-standing diplomatic ties into a broader economic partnership.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Bambang Suharto, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja during a diplomatic reception to mark Indonesia’s 81st Independence Anniversary.
Suharto stated that bilateral trade had consistently exceeded $3 billion per year, positioning Nigeria as one of Indonesia’s major trading partners in Africa. He noted that the vast scale of both markets, which boast a combined population of over 550 million people, provides considerable room for expanded trade, investment, technological exchange, and job creation.
“Our bilateral trade has consistently surpassed $3 billion annually, cementing Nigeria’s position as one of Indonesia’s foremost trading partners in Africa,” Suharto remarked.
The ambassador added that the economic relationship was already visible in the daily lives of citizens, with Nigeria supplying energy to Indonesia, while Indonesian manufactured and consumer goods have established a significant footprint in the Nigerian market.
Official Indonesian data puts bilateral trade at approximately $3.4 billion in 2024, with Indonesia recording a trade deficit of around $2.5 billion. Indonesia’s main exports to Nigeria include palm oil, while crude oil forms the bulk of Nigeria’s exports to Indonesia.
Suharto stressed that the next phase of the relationship must look beyond commodity trading to build stronger industrial and investment ties between both economies.
“Our ultimate ambition is not simply to trade more, but to cultivate a resilient partnership in which businesses on both sides thrive, local industries develop, and our people directly reap the benefits of the opportunities we create together,” he said.
This deepening relationship is also being propelled by Indonesian companies operating within Nigeria. Suharto specifically acknowledged the contributions of Dufil Prima Foods Ltd, Primera Food Nigeria Ltd, Tempo Scan Pacific, Glorious Dexa Mandaya Ltd, and Orange Kalbe Ltd, highlighting their investments, job creation, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Additionally, Suharto drew attention to Indonesian scholarship programmes that have enabled Nigerian students to study in Indonesia, alongside ongoing educational and cultural exchanges. He also pointed to the shared diversity of both nations as an opportunity to exchange insights on national cohesion, dialogue, inclusion, and tolerance.
He reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening ties with Nigeria and the wider African continent through platforms such as the Indonesia-Africa Forum, focusing on priority areas including energy, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, and human resource development.
Indonesian foreign ministry figures show that at least 15 Indonesian companies are currently active in Nigeria, predominantly across the food, pharmaceutical, mining, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors. Dufil Prima Foods—a prominent example of these economic ties—features Indonesian corporate backing through the Salim Group and Indofood. The company’s development of manufacturing and backward-integration activities in Nigeria demonstrates how the relationship is evolving beyond simple import-export trade.
Furthermore, the Indonesian Embassy has actively facilitated new commercial links. At the 2025 Trade Expo Indonesia, it helped secure nine trade commitments between Nigerian and Indonesian enterprises, valued at $24.99 million.
Speaking on behalf of Nigeria, Ambassador Ahmed stated that the priority was to convert long-standing diplomatic relations into a more productive economic partnership capable of bolstering domestic production and attracting sustainable investment. He highlighted Indonesia’s experience in industrialisation, manufacturing, digital transformation, infrastructure, agriculture, maritime development, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as key areas where Nigeria could benefit from closer cooperation.
“Nigeria is particularly interested in expanding cooperation that can support the development of local productive capacity, strengthen value chains, promote technology transfer, and attract sustainable investment,” Ahmed said, calling for stronger ties between private-sector bodies, chambers of commerce, financial institutions, and business communities in both nations.
Ahmed also urged the removal of practical barriers to commerce, citing market-access hurdles, insufficient business information, and weak connectivity between business leaders.
Nigeria and Indonesia have maintained formal diplomatic relations since 1965. Indonesia initially established its embassy in Lagos before relocating to Abuja in 2008, while Nigeria opened its embassy in Jakarta in 1976. Both countries also share ties through South-South cooperation and membership of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation. Indonesia holds the chairmanship of the D-8 for 2026–2027.
Ahmed noted that these shared platforms could be leveraged to advance cooperation on sustainable development financing, climate action, food and energy security, technology transfer, and the reform of international financial and governance institutions. He concluded by calling for expanded educational, scientific, and cultural exchanges to deepen mutual understanding among the youth and civil society groups of both nations.
