Oil
Nigeria moves toward palm oil council membership
Nigeria is advancing efforts to secure full membership in the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries to enhance bilateral trade and agricultural ties with Indonesia.
Key points
- Nigeria is progressing from observer status to full membership in the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries.
- The country produces roughly 1.4 million metric tonnes of crude palm oil annually against a domestic need of three million tonnes.
- Bilateral trade between Nigeria and Indonesia exceeded 4.78 billion US dollars as of September 2025.
Nigeria is advancing plans to transition from observer status to a full member of the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries, according to the country's diplomatic mission in Indonesia. Punch reported that Charge d'Affaires ad interim Eze Nduka Thomas announced the development during discussions with journalists in Jakarta.
Agricultural context and trade
Official figures indicate that national output stands at approximately 1.4 million metric tonnes of crude palm oil each year. This volume remains below the domestic requirement of roughly three million tonnes. The intergovernmental organization assists producing nations in aligning strategies regarding trade barriers, environmental regulations, and market entry, and has offered Nigeria a two-year fee waiver upon joining.
Data from the diplomatic mission show that economic exchange between Nigeria and Indonesia surpassed 4.78 billion US dollars by September 2025. Officials from both nations have expressed commitment to expanding commercial volumes through increased private sector engagement.
Infrastructure and investment
Beyond agricultural commodities, the Nigerian envoy encouraged domestic investors to examine Indonesia's framework for infrastructure development and power generation. According to World Bank figures from 2024, Nigeria's electricity consumption per capita rests at 140.6 kWh, with 62.5 percent of the population holding access to power. Thomas noted that public-private partnerships and diversified energy sources in Southeast Asia offer valuable models for expanding utility services and transport networks.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Crude benchmarks move budgets, currencies and inflation in producer and importer countries alike. For economies such as Nigeria, where fuels dominate exports, production and refining decisions move the whole economy.
85.9% of Nigeria’s merchandise exports were fuels in 2025Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
