Nigeria and Indonesia are set to strengthen cooperation in the petroleum and broader energy sectors, with the federal government seeking increased investment from Indonesian companies in the country’s oil and gas industry.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, said Nigeria was ready to deepen its strategic partnership with Indonesia through increased investment, technical cooperation and capacity development.
Lokpobiri made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Indonesian Government, led by the country’s Ambassador to Nigeria,
According to a statement by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Nneamaka Okafor, the minister said Nigeria remains committed to building stronger partnerships that attract investment and expertise into the petroleum sector.
Lokpobiri said Nigeria’s petroleum sector remains a competitive destination for international investors, offering opportunities for value creation and sustainable long-term returns despite shifts in the global energy landscape.
According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is focused on leveraging Nigeria’s natural resources to deliver greater value to Nigerians while creating an enabling environment that attracts long-term investment.
He identified policy clarity, regulatory predictability and improved investor confidence as critical to attracting the capital, technology and partnerships required to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s petroleum industry. JoinDiaspora Networks
“Our objective is to harness Nigeria’s natural resources in the best interest of Nigerians and investors. We are positioning the petroleum sector to attract the capital, technology, and partnerships required to unlock its full potential,” Lokpobiri said.
The minister welcomed Indonesia’s interest in investing in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, describing the proposed areas of cooperation as mutually beneficial and capable of supporting economic growth and stability in both countries.
He also invited the Indonesian government and investors to participate in Nigeria’s forthcoming bid rounds, urging them to take advantage of opportunities across the country’s oil and gas industry.
The invitation is significant as Nigeria continues its drive to attract fresh capital into the upstream sector, increase crude oil and gas production, develop new petroleum assets and strengthen the country’s position as a competitive destination for energy investment.
Speaking on Indonesia’s interest, Ambassador Suharto said his country regarded Nigeria as an important strategic partner and wanted to expand cooperation beyond traditional diplomatic relations.
“Indonesia sees Nigeria as an important strategic partner, and we are interested in expanding our cooperation through investment, technical collaboration, training, and capacity development,” the ambassador said. JoinDiaspora Networks
He added that the proposed areas of collaboration would create opportunities for both countries to strengthen their relationship and promote knowledge transfer and professional development in the energy sector.
Lokpobiri also highlighted proposed exchange programmes being advanced by the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna (CPESK), describing the initiative as an important platform for strengthening institutional relationships, facilitating knowledge sharing and building technical capacity.
