Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu Advocates Stronger Nigeria-Indonesia Trade Ties at NICCI Quarterly Chamber Meeting

At NICCI’s Quarterly Chamber Meeting held on March 28, 2025, we had the distinguished honour of hosting Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, Director General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC). The event, covered by Arise News, provided a powerful platform for dialogue on policies and strategies to enhance Nigeria-Indonesia trade and investment relations.

In her exclusive interview, Princess Audu shared forward-looking insights into the opportunities and reforms shaping Nigeria’s business landscape and its evolving partnership with Indonesia.

Sectors of Opportunity

Princess Audu spotlighted Indonesia’s manufacturing strength and Nigeria’s dynamic, youthful population as complementary assets. She emphasized how cultural adaptability, English fluency, and a growing consumer market make Nigeria a strategic partner for Indonesian producers.

“Nigeria offers a wealth of raw materials and a young, enlightened population exposed to Western culture. This makes it a natural partner for Indonesian manufacturers. There’s mutual benefit here Nigeria brings consumption and talent; Indonesia brings production expertise.”

Policy Reforms and Government Support

She also discussed key reforms that are improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria. Among them, she highlighted:

• The Regulatory Impact Analysis Framework promotes policy consistency and investor confidence.
• The 48-hour e-Visa policy introduced by the Ministry of Interior and Immigration, which simplifies entry for international business stakeholders.

“This policy will make it significantly easier for Indonesian businesses to explore opportunities in Nigeria. With our large population and demand-driven market, we are encouraging investors to come in and manufacture locally, where their expertise is needed most.”

Advice to Entrepreneurs

Addressing Nigerian entrepreneurs, Princess Audu encouraged a global mindset, urging them to:

• Identify niche areas of comparative advantage
• Build cross-border relationships
• Leverage Nigeria’s unique strengths to compete internationally

Her key message was clear: Nigeria is open, ready, and equipped for meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships, and the door to Indonesia is wide open.