The Nigerian Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCi) Hosts Indonesian Ambassador Designate to Nigeria, His Excellency, Amb. Bambang Suharto and His Wife, H.E. Mrs. Berti Augustina Suharto to Unveil Strategic Path to Deepen Nigeria-Indonesia Economic Ties Ahead of NIITF 2025

In a significant diplomatic and business development move, the Nigerian-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) hosted His Excellency Ambassador Bambang Suharto and His wife to a high-level interactive session at the NICCI headquarters office in Lagos on Saturday, July 26, 2025.

The gathering can be easily described as the convergence of the best of the best of Nigeria and Indonesia marked the Ambassador’s first official visit to Lagos since assuming office.

It brought together key leaders in the public and private sectors, NICCI board of Directors, development partners, royal dignitary, and industry leaders to chart a renewed course for Nigeria-Indonesia bilateral trade and investment relations.

In his welcome address, Mr. Ishmael Balogun, President of NICCI, emphasized the Chambers’ enduring role as a catalyst for enterprise diplomacy, enabling cross-border collaboration between Nigerian and Indonesian businesses.

He thanked the ambassador for honouring the Chamber with an early engagement and noted that this mirrored the tradition of past ambassadors who worked closely with NICCI to drive value-driven and mutually benefitung partnerships between the 2 countries.

“Diplomacy should not be left to government alone,” Mr. Balogun remarked. “It is through engagements like this that we shape the future of our economic destinies. Nigeria and Indonesia, both rich in people, culture, and enterprise, have a lot to gain from mutual understanding and structured collaboration.”

H.E, Ambassador Bambang Suharto expressed delight at the reception and highlighted the deep cultural and economic heritage shared between both nations.

He described Indonesia’s transformation journey from an archipelago of slow inter-island trade in 2005 to a global logistics and production hub as a vision powered by production of local products, unity in diversity, and deliberate leadership.

“Indonesia today is home to over 270 million people across 17,000 islands, yet we have learned to thrive together,” he said. “Our future is built on producing what we consume and consuming what we produce.”

He further acknowledged Nigeria’s position as Indonesia’s largest trading partner in Africa, driven by energy imports, and noted that the trade balance is in favor of Nigeria.

The meeting also served as another springboard for the promotion of the 4th edition of the Nigerian-Indonesian Investment and Trade Forum (NIITF 2025), scheduled to hold from October 21st to 22nd, 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

According to the NICCI President, the forum aims to accelerate investment deals, establish joint ventures, and broker public-private partnerships across sectors including but not limited to agriculture, renewable energy, Oil & Gas, Aviation, Health, Defense, manufacturing, Power, infrastructural Development, Transportation and other non oil produce business Sectors.

“This year’s NIITF will be one of the most dynamic editions yet,” Mr. Balogun noted. “We are mobilising high-level participation from both government agencies and the private sector. The Vice President of Nigeria, H.E. Senator Kashim Shetima, has mandated the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to coordinate the MDAs and ensure their participation in the upcoming NIITF. This is not just a trade mission; it is a bridge to shared prosperity.”

He shared that over 100 Nigerian delegates are expected, with support from relevant MDAs, financial partners, and Indonesian stakeholders. The event will also feature deal rooms, policy roundtables, B2B, G2B and G2G matchmaking, and site visits to Indonesia’s industrial corridors.

In a move to make participation seamless and accessible, NICCI announced its partnership with Travel Arcade, the official travel facilitator for NIITF 2025 providing affordable installment payment packages for intending participants.

The Ambassador’s visit featured dynamic insights from a range of voices:

• Prof. Ahmed Salawudeen, Chairman of Signature Group and Standard Insurance Ltd praised NICCI’s work and emphasised the urgency of “producing what we consume” and repositioning Nigeria’s abundant human and natural resources for value addition, citing Dubai’s transformation as a template from what it was in the past.
• HRH, Oba Dokun Thompson, a royal traditional leader and agripreneur, spoke passionately about the $25 billion cocoa industry, highlighting Nigeria’s underutilised 2% global share and calling for strategic bilateral partnerships with Indonesian cocoa processors.

*Mr. Olufemi Banwo, founding partner of Banwo & Ighodalo and Member Board of NICCI expressed the boundless opportunities in the Nigerian-Indonesian market space.

• Mr. Kemi Ajisebutu, one of NICCI Directors, discussed the opportunity in e-commerce and digital trade, encouraging Nigeria to tap into Indonesia’s booming online marketplace ecosystem and build cross-border B2B platforms.
• Mr. Prasad Sane, Chief Business Officer of ARISE IPR and head of a special economic zone, emphasized the advantages in establishing industries in the Free Trade Zone, industrial synergies, logistics integration, and NICCI’s crucial role in facilitating impactful dialogue between governments and investors.
• Dr. Emmanuel Lingga, The Director of ITPC Lagos, invited participants to explore Indonesia’s global manufacturing strengths at the upcoming 40th Indonesia TradeXpo scheduled for October 15 to 19, 2025, describing it as “a window into one of Asia’s most dynamic economies.”

The Ambassador, joined by Mr. Fahmi Aris, the outgoing Minister Counselor, Indonesian Embassy Abuja, and other embassy staff concluded the event with a call for greater unity and visionary leadership from both countries.

He thanked NICCI for the warm welcome and pledged to work closely with the Chamber to unlock new areas of cooperation in trade, education, and technology.

To commemorate the historic visit, the NICCI board presented an Award of Excellence to Ambassador Suharto and affirmed their commitment to supporting his diplomatic goals in Nigeria and West Africa. In return, the Ambassador also presented the President of NICCI with an award of recognition for the promotion of trade and investment between Nigeria and Indonesia.

Group photographs, networking sessions and refreshment followed as attendees interacted freely exchanging pleasantries and business cards and a host of others shared a moment of reflection on the growing friendship between Nigeria and Indonesia.

With a track record of facilitating trade deals, investment missions, and B2B platforms, NICCI continues to cement its role as the primary private-sector gateway for Nigerian-Indonesian partnerships.

The upcoming NIITF 2025 is poised to be a defining chapter in this evolving story.