Port Harcourt —The Republic of Indonesia is seeking collaboration with Nigeria, particularly on the development of the nation’s oil and gas sector.
Indonesian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. H. Usra Hendra Harahap, made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella, in Abuja.
Harahap, who expressed the country’s desire to foster and sustain the existing collaboration with Nigeria, stressed the need for both countries to resume discussions on the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, on the oil and gas sector, which he said had been suspended since 2017.
The Indonesian envoy stated that an MoU would help bolster collaboration in the sector, citing the offer by the Enugu State Government in 2023 to build a 500-megawatt capacity gas power plant.
“We are looking for ways to maintain and improve a beneficial cooperation and relationship that we (Nigeria and Indonesia) have held for the past 59 years.
“Oil and gas sector of the economy is of common interest to our two countries and we would want to explore areas of more collaboration with Nigeria in this regard,” he said.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella, said Indonesia had been a good friend of Nigeria, noting 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 Indonesian ambassador that the issues around the MoU and Enugu gas plant would be looked into, he assured that other areas of collaboration and mutual interests would be explored.
