Indonesia imported $3.8bn worth of Nigerian oil and gas in 2023 – Envoy

The Republic of Indonesia imported over $3.8 billion worth of oil and gas from Nigeria in 2023.

Usra Hendra Harahap, Indonesian ambassador to Nigeria, disclosed this on Wednesday during his courtesy visit to Nicholas Agbo Ella, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, in Abuja, the ministry said in a statement.

“We are looking for ways to maintain and improve a beneficial cooperation and relationship that we have held for the past 59 years,” the Indonesian envoy was quoted as saying.

He said the oil and gas sector is of common interest to both countries and Indonesia would want to explore areas of more   collaboration with Nigeria in that regard.

He stressed the need for Nigeria and Indonesia to resume discussions on the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the oil and gas sector which had been suspended since 2017. 

He stated that a MoU would help bolster collaboration in the sector, citing the offer by the Enugu State Governor in 2023 to build a 500-megawatt capacity gas power plant.

In his response, the permanent secretary said Indonesia had been a good friend of Nigeria, adding that the visit would help improve the relationship between the two countries in promoting Nigeria’s oil and gas for mutual benefits. 

While assuring the ambassador that the issues around the MoU and Enugu Gas plant would be looked into, he said other areas of collaboration and mutual interests would be explored.