Deepening Nigeria-Indonesia’s Shared Commitment to Safeguarding Regional, Global Maritime Domain 

When the Indonesian Navy frigate KRI PRABU SILIWANGI berthed in Lagos this week, it marked a significant moment in the evolving relationship between Nigeria and Indonesia, underscoring the growing role of naval diplomacy in strengthening bilateral ties. Beyond ceremony, Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that the visit to Western Naval Command highlighted expanding cooperation in defence, maritime security, training, intelligence sharing and cultural exchange, anchored on the 2023 bilateral defence agreement between both countries and a shared commitment to safeguarding regional and global maritime space

Port calls remain one of the most practical expressions of naval diplomacy, serving as platforms for building trust, strengthening military-to-military relations and advancing foreign policy objectives beyond formal agreements.

Through port visits, navies engage in professional exchanges, operational familiarisation and confidence-building activities that enhance interoperability and mutual understanding.

They also create opportunities for joint exercises, intelligence and information sharing, humanitarian cooperation and cultural interaction, while signalling political goodwill and strategic intent. In an era of shared maritime threats and interconnected sea lanes, port calls help translate diplomatic commitments into actionable cooperation on the water.

Thus, the port call of the Indonesian Navy frigate KRI PRABU SILIWANGI to Lagos was a defining moment in Nigeria–Indonesia relations, projecting naval diplomacy as a practical instrument of foreign policy while reinforcing cooperation in defence, maritime security, trade and cultural exchange.

As the newest ship in Indonesia’s fleet berthed in Lagos followed by a courtesy visit to Western Naval Command headquarters in Apapa, the visit signalled not just goodwill, but a shared commitment to deeper strategic engagement between two key maritime nations.

Welcoming the visiting ship, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Abubakar Mustapha, situated the visit within the long arc of bilateral relations. “Our two countries enjoy food security as well as community cooperation. And as you have attested, Nigeria and Indonesia have enjoyed this relationship since independence, since we attained independence in 1960. The trade relationship is actually growing from strength to strength, going into billions of tonnes.”

He noted that while trade continues to expand, defence relations have increasingly become a critical pillar of engagement. “But more importantly, alongside that, the military relations between the two countries, the defence cooperation, have also been growing from strength to strength. In 2023, this relationship was formalised in a bilateral defence agreement between Nigeria and Indonesia.”

According to the FOC, the 2023 agreement has already translated into concrete outcomes. “On that strength, Nigerian Armed Forces officers have attended the Indonesian Defence University, and I believe a number of officers have also attended the Indonesian Resilience Institute. That is in terms of equipment procurement. The same document has paved the way for Nigeria to actually merge into the growing military-industrial complex of Indonesia.”

He acknowledged Nigeria’s evolving defence manufacturing base while underlining the strategic importance of partnerships. “Our own is still very young, so these are areas of intersection that the Nigerian Armed Forces can actually benefit from and try to leverage to build our own military-industrial complex. Because in today’s security era, sovereignty of security is everything.”

Rear Admiral Mustapha stressed the urgency of self-reliance supported by collaboration. “It is good to call people, it is good to be able to produce what you are going to use to fight if the need arises. So the need for Nigeria to actually build partnerships is critical. We believe this cooperation will also happen on the ground.”

Maritime security featured prominently in the discussions, particularly intelligence and information sharing. The FOC pointed out Indonesia’s role within Asian maritime security frameworks. “In terms of intelligence and information sharing, we know that Indonesia is part of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC)… Also, the IFC, Singapore Information Fusion Centre, the Indonesian Armed Forces are part of that.”

He drew parallels with Nigeria’s own systems. “In Nigeria, we have a very robust maritime domain awareness system and a regional awareness capability system. So the intersection of your capability in maritime domain awareness and what we have would help us to better secure the maritime space, both from the regional angle and the global commons.”

Placing cooperation within a wider regional framework, he added: “Coming to maritime security cooperation, we know Indonesia works with Malaysia and Singapore. We in Nigeria are also championing the Yaoundé architecture. We have an ECOWAS-integrated maritime strategy, and we want it to be headquartered in the Benin Republic.”

Looking ahead, he emphasised the operational scope of the defence agreement. “I believe there is a lot that this cooperation promises. The 2023 defence agreement would also allow us to have service-wise agreements: army-to-army cooperation, navy-to-navy, and air force-to-air force.”

Rear Admiral Mustapha described the visit as a practical expression of foreign policy. “There is no gain saying that what we see is a subset of diplomacy, specifically naval diplomacy, and the importance of foreign policy. It enables us to exercise together, to train with equipment, and in some cases, depending on the nature, to offer humanitarian assistance in the process.”

He confirmed Nigeria’s intention to reciprocate the gesture. “It is a welcome visit. We, as a navy, on behalf of the Chief of the Naval Staff, believe that as a priority, if we have the opportunity, we will reciprocate this visit to Indonesia in the near future.”

In a subsequent interview with THISDAY, the FOC reiterated the strategic value of port visits. “First of all, I want to say that diplomacy is a critical element of national power, and naval diplomacy is a subset of diplomacy. Port visits by partner countries, like the Indonesian Navy frigate are a testament to the strong bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Indonesia.”

He revealed plans for joint activities. “As part of my plan under the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, we plan to conduct a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise, as well as an anti-illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing exercise on their exit journey from the country.”

Beyond operations, cultural exchange was deliberately included. “One area, apart from just military-to-military engagements that enhance foreign or bilateral relations, is cultural exchange between the two countries… we have also arranged for the team from the ship, the selected ship’s crew, to visit some of our cultural centres and traditional institutions so that you can appreciate our culture.”

In turn, Indonesia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Bambang Suharto, described the visit as symbolic and strategic. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Government of Nigeria, particularly the Nigerian Navy, for accommodating our new warship. This expresses our close relationship.”

He underlined Nigeria’s importance to Indonesia’s African engagement. “Nigeria has been chosen for the port visit of the Indonesian warship because Nigeria is our strategic partner in Africa, and we share similarities in population characteristics and economic development.”

With the presence of the Indonesian Navy Ship led by its Commanding Officer, KRI PRABU SILIWANGI, Captain Kurnian Koes Atmadja, and Indonesia’s Defence Attaché to Nigeria, Colonel Aslam, the Lagos port call stood as a powerful statement of intent anchored in diplomacy, strengthened by cooperation, and focused on securing shared maritime interests.