Indonesia has formally issued a call to Nigerian entrepreneurs and corporate entities to step up direct foreign investment and deepen bilateral economic cooperation in key sectors, including renewable energy, waste management, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture.
​The announcement, delivered at a high-level trade briefing held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Indonesian Trade Promotion Centre (ITPC) in Abuja, highlights Southeast Asia’s growing ambition to expand economic partnerships beyond seasonal trading toward sustained industrial collaboration, local manufacturing, and reciprocal capital flow.
​Addressing business leaders, economic delegates, and members of the press, Iska Huberta Sinural, Senior Trade Analyst with Indonesia’s trade promotion authorities, revealed that the Indonesian government is rolling out structured privileges and tax incentives for Nigerian firms establishing operations in Southeast Asia.
​”There will be special treatment when you choose to invest in Indonesia,” Sinural stated. “We will offer targeted privileges, including streamlined investor visas, preferential tax breaks, and expedited administrative processes. Given the high costs and logistical complexities associated with cross-continental shipping, direct local investment provides an effective mechanism for businesses on both ends to access consumers and scale operations efficiently.”
​Sinural stressed that bilateral trade, which currently surpasses $3 billion annually, must evolve beyond traditional finished-goods importing to encompass joint ventures, technology transfer, and capital investment from Nigerian businesses.
​Elaborating on specific areas of strategic collaboration, trade official Alpvy highlighted immediate growth opportunities in green technology and industrial processing. A primary focus includes waste-to-energy technologies, specifically converting agricultural and animal waste into clean coal alternatives and biomass energy to power heavy industries.
​”First and foremost, our goal for investment is to build the operational framework for collaboration,” Alpvy explained. “Nigerian and Indonesian businesses have previously engaged in preliminary discussions regarding renewable energy projects and setting up manufacturing plants, but further structured dialogue is required to formalize investment arrangements.”
​In agriculture and trade diversification, Indonesian representatives identified several Nigerian non-oil agricultural commodities positioned for export expansion, including; Cocoa beans and cocoa paste for Indonesia’s chocolate manufacturing industry. Sesame seeds, cashew nuts, soya beans, and groundnuts for processing, Raw cotton, rubber products, and processed hides/leather. Processed industrial inputs, including aluminium alloys, glass containers, and ethylene polymers.
​In exchange, Indonesia plans to scale up exports of machinery, textiles, pharmaceutical inputs, and automotive components to bolster Nigeria’s local manufacturing capacity.
​While expressing optimism, delegates acknowledged ongoing obstacles to seamless commerce, citing high shipping tariffs, extended maritime transits, and banking system frictions, particularly foreign exchange access and delays experienced by international entities when opening operational bank accounts.
​Indonesian officials urged Nigerian policymakers to streamline commercial banking channels to build investor confidence ahead of the upcoming 41st Trade Expo Indonesia, scheduled for October 14–18, 2026.
​The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to establishing permanent bilateral working groups tasked with facilitating cross-border investment and driving sustainable economic development across both nations.
