Bilateral trade between Nigeria and Indonesia has consistently exceeded $3bn annually, Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Bambang Suharto, has disclosed.
Suharto said the volume of trade had strengthened Nigeria’s position as one of Indonesia’s major trading partners in Africa, while calling for broader economic cooperation between the two countries.
The ambassador noted that Nigeria plays an important role in Indonesia’s energy security, while Indonesian products have become widely used by Nigerian consumers and businesses.
He also highlighted instances where Indonesian products have been manufactured locally in Nigeria with the involvement of Nigerian workers, describing such partnerships as evidence that bilateral economic relations can extend beyond the exchange of goods.
According to Suharto, there is still significant potential for both countries to expand their economic relationship, given their combined market of more than 550 million people.
He said the two countries could deepen cooperation in trade, investment, technology transfer and employment creation.
The envoy added that Indonesian companies operating in Nigeria were contributing to the relationship through investments, job creation and corporate social responsibility programmes.
“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,” Suharto said.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, said Nigeria was interested in learning from Indonesia’s experience in industrialisation, manufacturing, digital transformation and infrastructure development.
He also identified agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, the digital economy and creative industries as areas with potential for increased trade and investment.
Ahmed called for stronger links between businesses, chambers of commerce, financial institutions and private-sector organisations in both countries.
He further urged both sides to address practical challenges affecting bilateral commerce, including market access, access to business information and the facilitation of commercial agreements.
The Permanent Secretary said Nigeria’s priority was to expand cooperation in ways that would strengthen local productive capacity, improve value chains, facilitate technology transfer and attract sustainable investment.
The discussions also highlighted educational and cultural exchanges, with Indonesia’s scholarship programmes enabling Nigerian students to study in the country and develop links between both nations.
Both countries are expected to continue exploring opportunities to broaden their economic partnership beyond existing trade relations.
