Abba Hamisu San
Africa-Press – Nigeria. Mr. Fahmi Aris is the chargé d’affairs Indonesian Embassy in Nigeria.In this Interview with Africa Press he spoke about the cordial relationship that exist between Nigeria and Indonesia,and how the two nations can continue to bolster the existing bilaterals especially in the economic sector.
He also spoke about the recent participation of Indonesian companies during the recent Food and Beverages West Africa Exhibition in Lagos,plus the upcoming Indonesian Kano Trade Expo which is expected to hold from 15th to 18 of July 2025.
What efforts are you making to strengthen the existing bilateral relations that exist between Indonesia and Nigeria?
When you are talking about bilateral between our two countries ; Indonesia and Nigeria,we have to look back to 1965 then alot of activities dynamics of bilateral relationship started untill we reach figures of 4.3 billion U.S dollars interns of business between the two nations,this is huge amount as we continue to export many Indonesian product to Nigeria ,we are hoping sustainability of this exportation.
In the Embassy we are doing our best to improve the capability of the exportation from Indonesia to Nigeria.This importation is coming from Several important sectors , the first rank is palm oil and it’s product which worth more than One hundred million U.S dollars per year ,followed by textiles even though there are some policies affecting this sector
, the importation of fabrics or textile but I do believe since I saw it in the market alot of Indonesian product are allowed to compete in with products from China and Turkey.
After textile is the pharmaceutical Industry,before this interview I met with the Director General National Institute for pharmaceutical Development of Nigeria with aim of establishing strong collaboration with pharmaceutical industry,especially for the vaccine development and Phytopharma which is coming from herbal medicine.After pharmaceutical followed by others like FMB, FMCGS and other products that are possible to enter into the markets of Nigeria and the surrounding countries in Western part of Africa and Central Africa even.
So our mandate and role in the Embassy is to see how to facilitate,these economic activities to make them more improved and to increase them year by year.
Apart from those I mentioned ,we also secured our collaboration in Agriculture.
in which Aspect of Agriculture?
We are contributing to the soil fartilizarion farlizer is our main target ,seed and seedlings is also part of our target and other advancement in technology transfer like artificial insemination ,we deed it in the previous years.We have collaborations with some states in northern part of Nigeria for the development of livestock.
Another area of the collaboration as I mentioned before is the pharmaceutical industry.Few weeks ago we have done the ground breaking activities in Lagos for the establishment of a factory with the capacity of three billion target per year belonging to Indonesian leading companies.
So I believe with support of People not only government that the business rationality will granty the activities of collaboration to exist more and more.
You talk about artificial insemination ,do you have relationship with National Biotechnology Development Agency which is responsible for handle such issues in Nigeria?
Yes there are number of Agencies under the ministries that are relevant to the projects as we have good collaboration with the Ministry of Livestock Development which under its directive we are dealing with the states.
We do capacity building for some fartneerians who were able to do the artificial insemination.
“What I heard as a progress report from them ,seems the effort of last November in 2024, some of those Cattles in Sokoto and Kebbi States that were injected with artificial insemination were successfully pregnant.This is like a sample ,we believe that such development will help the in way of livestock management as they are not making any movement which usually create troublences with local farmers ” Mr.Fahmi emphasized.
Do you have plans to extend such gesture enjoyed by Sokoto and Kebbi to other states in northern Nigeria?
Yes of course we strutinized this effort and the idea which will lead to its commercialization.We are going to welcome all the parties or any one who is interested to this project ,our embassy doors is always open to connect them with manufactures of the artificial inseminations products.
Recently Indonesia is one of the countries participated at the Food and Beverages West Africa Exhibition in Lagos.How to do you rate the performance of the organizers and the patronization of Indonesian products?
This event is a tremendous thing to us we participated through Indonesian business promotion centre in Lagos,they invited many companies dealing with FMB and we are convince that getting market in Lagos ,is not only talking about Lagos but Nigeria and other countries in the West African region.
We do appreciate and very happy to see the number of visitors.Indonesian companies through this event believe that Africa is a good market with strong ability to buy.
” I have seen business operators willing to buy in large quantity and ready to be distributors and our industrialist at FAB Exhibition were ready to form joint venture with a lot of companies but the only problem is that of shipment ,despite this we also want to use strategic location of Nigeria as the gate way to Africa by using initiatives like Africa Continental for Trade Area- ACfTA and also Economic Community of West African States -ECOWAS to penetrate Africa with Indonesian products ” Fahmi Aris said.
Indonesia have about 15 large companies operating in Nigeria ,how ready are you to invite more companies for direct foreign investment and do partnership with the Nigerians in different aspects of your expertise?
It is not easy to bring them and make them instantly believe that, there is market in Nigeria.
At the begining I have say to my fellow companies in Indonesia look at Nigeria in the proper way ,it is not about population actually but the proper location as a gate way ,to other countries in Western and central Africa ,we can imagine more than 400 million population ,the whole continent of Africa has more 1.2 billion population and Nigeria is the power House to the surrounding countries in the region.
I believe that to meet the market of this 1.2 billion people Nigeria is very strategic ,even though ,I am not saying penetrating the market is easy but we need some one or companies that has agility ,strong enough with capability to compete with companies from other countries who are successful in securing the markets ” the diplomat stated.
Mr. Aris added that now is the time for more Indonesian investors to establish more industries in Nigeria.
The success story of Dufil as the company who started initially with production of Indomie noodles in 1996 ,now they have 16000 local employees in 3 factories in Ogun,Kaduna and Rivers states.
Nigeria is the second largest business partner of Indonesia in Africa after South Africa ,in other aspects of cooperate social responsibility what does Indonesia is doing?
Yes any aspect can actually be developed as well, not only talking about trade ,we combine education with tourism,we are seeing growing number of Nigerians who want to study in Indonesia at least 200 to above people are indicating interest far month ,what we are doing is to encourage them by getting good facilities for them as we want to bring International standard education level into Nigeria.
Indonesian Universities provides scholarships ” More Nigerians need come to Indonesia for their education rather than going to London in UK,Canada or going to America ,there are so much advantages in Indonesia ,the hospitality is there” he said.
Let us talk about the preparedness of Indonesian Trade Expo or Trade Fair in Kano?
Our second activities in Kano will be from 15th to 18th of July 2025.The first activities in 2024 we call it Kano expo with more exhibitions in the state of introduction as part of our duty to make introductions ,the second event is more to make fruitful engagement which we expect more businesses and sellings to to take place.
Of course this activity has certain need for the local authority (Kano State Government ) support,I am going to arrange my self to make this happened as we have collaborations with Kano Council of Traders and Enterprenurs (KASCOTE) under its President Alhaji Hassan Yaro.
” For your information also the embassy has successfully bring this Association KASCOTE to meet with similar or sister association in Indonesia called Muslim Community Business Association of Indonesia (KPMI),since two month ago we have been able to make four times business matching were members of KASCOTE meet with members of KPMI in Jakarta under this facilitation).
From your experience of last year (2024) how encouraged are you with the participation and business relations,and collaboration established between Indonesian business Community and Nigerians particularly from Kano ,as many MoU’s were signed?
Yes after the activity of last year in Kano ,we have seeing numbers of achievements actually ,the most achievement we can see during the Trade Expo in Indonesia in 2024 ,during the Kano activities we open the register of those want go for the activity in Indonesia which we have more than 400 people want to go.But unfortunately because of visa issues only 122 people were able to attend ,it is considered as third largest transactions and it brings alot of fruitful business transactions during the Indonesian Trade Expo.
After this expo ,we are still witnessing successful business deals between exhibitors during the Kano first edition and local partners.
I believe the 2025 edition will open more chanenels of businesses ,Indonesians will understand Kano as centre of gravity.
Finally what is your hope and expectation towards strengthening Indonesia Nigeria relationship?
At the second edition of Kano exhibition we need more visitors and business transactions. We need to see people happy and a good result from the activities.
And my hope is to see our mission in Nigeria to be more acceptable ,either by local authorities ,the Federal government and by the people of Nigeria and business Community as well,to see level of acceptance getting high that is my mission.
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