OIL & GAS SECTOR: Indonesia Seeks More Collaboration with Nigeria

“We are looking for ways to maintain and improve a beneficial cooperation and relationship that we have held for the past 59 years”. Dr. H. Usra Hendra Harahap, Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria.

"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." Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Abuja.

Nigeria's Oil and Gas sector will expectedly witness an additional boost as the Republic of Indonesia has expressed desire to foster its existing collaboration on the development of the nation's oil and gas sector.

Disclosing this is the Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. H. Usra Hendra Harahap when he paid a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella, on Wednesday, 29th May, 2024 in Abuja.

The Indonesian Ambassador said that Indonesia was exploring ways to sustain her relationship with Nigeria. 

“We are looking for ways to maintain and improve a beneficial cooperation and relationship that we have held for the past 59 years”, he informed.

Specifically, the Ambassador noted that the oil and gas sector of the economy is of common interest to both countries and would want to explore areas of more collaboration with Nigeria in that regard.

He noted that Indonesia imported over 3.8 billion dollars worth of oil and gas from Nigeria in 2023 and 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, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella 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 stated that other areas of collaboration and mutual interests would be explored.

This was contained in a statement signed Oluwakemi Ogunmakinwa (Mrs.) Deputy Director (Press and Public Relations) department of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Abuja and copies made available to journalists.