By Favour Ulebor
The President of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), Amb. Usman Darma, has called on Indonesian companies to invest in Kano State, saying the state offers access to a large African market and opportunities for industrial growth.
Darma said Kano was positioning itself as a gateway for Indonesian businesses seeking to expand into Nigeria and other African countries.
He made the call while speaking at a welcoming reception for delegations from West African countries ahead of the Indonesia Trade Expo (TEI) 2026 in BSD City, Tangerang, Indonesia, on Tuesday.
Darma, who led a business delegation of more than 100 members to the expo, said about 60 delegates had arrived, while the remaining members were expected to join them in the following days.
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He said the delegation comprised businesspeople from different sectors, including manufacturing, retail and pharmaceuticals, as well as those seeking investment partners to expand their businesses and contribute to economic growth.
“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 had the potential to serve as a major trading hub, with access to markets across about 26 of Africa’s 54 countries.
He also identified labour availability and the state’s business environment as factors that could attract Indonesian investors.
According to him, KACCIMA is promoting investment in 13 priority areas, including light manufacturing, agro-processing and pharmaceuticals.
He said Indonesian companies could establish processing plants in Kano to convert locally available agricultural produce into finished goods for domestic consumption and export to other African countries and international markets.
Darma specifically urged Indonesian investors in the textile and light manufacturing sectors to explore opportunities in Kano, noting that the state could support the establishment of small processing plants.
He said the availability of agricultural produce also presented opportunities for Indonesian companies to process spices and other products locally, sell them in Nigeria and re-export them to other markets.
On pharmaceuticals, he said Indonesian companies could explore opportunities to establish production and assembly facilities in the state, adding that such investments would benefit both countries.
Darma also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of an Indonesian trade exhibition previously organised in Kano by the Indonesian Embassy in Nigeria.
He described the exhibition as successful, saying participating Indonesian businesses established contacts with Nigerian buyers, while some exhibitors sold out the samples they brought to the event.
“The Indonesians that came were happy. They got a lot of connections and buyers, and some of those who came with samples had already sold them out,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the next edition of the exhibition in Kano would attract more participants and produce better results.
Darma added that KACCIMA hoped to see Indonesian companies establish a presence in Kano before the next exhibition, moving beyond trade contacts to direct investment and local production.
The Indonesia Trade Expo 2026 was officially opened by President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday, with more than 8,092 foreign buyers from 134 countries expected to participate. The expo has a transaction target of $17.5bn.
