…as Kano leads 100-member business mission to explore investment opportunities
By Gloria Ikibah 
Indonesia has recorded business deals worth $10 million ahead of the official opening of the 41st Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2026, as it seeks to deepen trade and investment ties with West African countries.
The Ambassador of Indonesia to Nigeria, Bambang Suharto, disclosed this on Tuesday at a welcoming reception for delegations from West Africa in BSD City, Tangerang, where he described Indonesia as a home away from home for its African partners.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Indonesia and to this evening’s reception. Let me begin with these words: welcome to Indonesia, and welcome home!” he said.
Suharto said Indonesia’s economic engagement with West Africa had grown through trust, personal connections and mutually beneficial business relationships.
He recalled that 109 participants from West Africa attended the 2025 edition of the trade expo through the facilitation of the Indonesian Embassy, generating business potential worth more than $24 million.
“This year, 101 participants have already arrived, and we are encouraged by reports of MoU worth USD 10 million signed even before the exhibition officially opens. These are promising early signs of the opportunities ahead,” the ambassador said.
The early deals, he added, signalled the potential for further commercial partnerships between Indonesian companies and businesses across West Africa.
Figures from the 2025 edition showed that the expo attracted 8,045 international buyers and 34,550 visitors from 131 countries, with total transactions reaching $22.8 billion. Nigeria ranked among the top five countries in terms of buyer attendance.
Suharto expressed hope that this year’s exhibition will produce even greater results, urging participants to use the opportunity to explore products, meet exhibitors and establish lasting business relationships.
“My hope is that this year’s TEI will bring even greater success for all of you. Please make the most of your time here: meet exhibitors, explore new products, exchange ideas, and pursue opportunities that can grow into lasting business partnerships,” he urged.
He also assured the visiting delegations of the embassy’s support throughout the exhibition, including facilitating introductions, linking them with suitable business partners and helping to address challenges they might encounter.
Kano targets Indonesian industrial investment
Meanwhile, the President of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Ambassador Usman Darma, said Kano State was positioning itself as a gateway for Indonesian businesses seeking to enter the African market.
Darma, who led a 100-member business delegation to TEI 2026, said about 60 delegates had arrived in Indonesia, with the remaining members expected to join them in the coming days.
He said the delegation’s priority was to attract Indonesian companies to establish industries in Nigeria, particularly in Kano, where he believes investors could tap into a wider regional market.
“Our main focus is how we can encourage indigenous Indonesian companies to come to Nigeria, especially Kano, to establish more industries because we believe it is an advantage for all of us,” he said.
Darma said Kano offered investors access to a market spanning almost 26 of Africa’s 54 countries, alongside what he described as the continent’s cheapest labour and a business environment capable of accommodating new investments.
He disclosed that KACCIMA was pursuing Indonesian investment across 13 priority areas, including light industry, agro-processing and pharmaceuticals.
According to him, local production in these sectors could meet domestic demand while creating opportunities for re-export to other African markets.
The chamber president also praised the Indonesian Trade Expo recently organised in Kano by the Indonesian Embassy, describing it as “very excellent”.
He said Indonesian companies that participated in the event sold out their samples and secured buyers, demonstrating the commercial potential of stronger trade links between the two countries.
TEI targets $17.5bn in transactions
The welcoming reception set the stage for the official opening of TEI 2026 by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday.
The exhibition is expected to attract more than 8,092 foreign buyers from 134 countries, with organisers setting a transaction target of $17.5 billion.
For Nigeria and other West African participants, the event offers an opportunity to explore new sources of investment, establish direct links with Indonesian manufacturers and expand trade beyond existing markets.
With $10 million in deals reportedly secured before the exhibition opened, the early transactions have raised expectations of further business commitments as delegates engage with exhibitors and potential partners.
