Uche Cecil Izuora
Nigeria accounted for 24.91 per cent of Indonesia’s crude imports in the first half of 2026, according to BPS, Indonesia’s statistics Agency.
Indonesia has been buying large numbers of African crude this year, according to official statistics, as Jakarta draws attention for its Russian contracts.
The Agency revealed on Monday that Nigeria made up nearly a quarter of Indonesia’s crude oil imports from January to June 2026.
“Nigeria accounted for 24.91% of the crude imports made in the first half. Followed by Angola [15.41%] and Saudi Arabia [13.62%],” BPS deputy Ateng Hartono told reporters in Jakarta.
The monthly crude imports reached $1.20 million in January on cargoes weighing 2.52 million tons, Jakarta Globe.id reports.
The February shipments weighed less at just 610,000 tons and had a price tag of $280,000. The figures rose to 1.56 million tons and cost just $850,000 in March. Indonesia imported 1.6 million tons of crude at $1.09 million the following month.
The May volume totaled 710,000 tons, Ateng said, without disclosing the value. Imports reached $1.72 million in June, although Ateng did not say the volume.
Indonesia has been working to diversify its oil sources by tapping suppliers whose routes do not include the Strait of Hormuz.
Shipping flows have ground to a halt in this narrow passage following the US-Iran war that erupted in late February. Amidst the Nigerian crude purchases, Indonesia has also turned to Moscow for fuel.
Just last week, Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia confirmed that the first batch of the Russian crude had already arrived in the country. Local news agencies wrote that the delivery comprised 770,000 barrels. According to initial reports, the order would total 150 million barrels.
“We want to safeguard our energy reserves so we will not face any shortage,” Bahlil said at a press briefing, commenting on the Russian crude.
The overall oil and gas imports had skyrocketed 105.15% year-on-year to $4.56 billion in June 2026, BPS reported. The first-half fuel imports also soared 38.71% compared with the same period last year. Singapore and Malaysia are the leading suppliers.