By Yahaya Umar
Nigeria’s spending on imported passenger vehicles rose sharply to N1.58 trillion in 2025, 24.64% increase from 2024, signalling renewed consumer interest despite still making up a small slice of the country’s overall imports.
Fresh figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics show that this represents a 24.64% increase from N1.26 trillion recorded in 2024, and a 6.89% rise compared to N1.47 trillion in 2023.
Even with this recovery, passenger cars accounted for just 2.34% of Nigeria’s total import value, which stood at N67.35 trillion in 2025. Overall imports grew by 11.14% year-on-year from N60.59 trillion in 2024, suggesting that other categories expanded more rapidly than vehicle purchases.
Looking at where the cars came from, the United States remained the leading supplier, especially for used vehicles. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, imports from the U.S. were valued at N93.51 billion well ahead of South Africa (N25.84 billion) and the United Arab Emirates (N8.48 billion). Smaller contributions came from Canada, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
The dominance of the U.S. persisted throughout the year, with imports climbing steadily each quarter and peaking at N197.90 billion in Q4. Meanwhile, shipments from the UAE, South Africa, and parts of Europe remained consistent but comparatively lower, often focused on commercial-use vehicles.
Beyond passenger cars, Nigeria’s broader transport-related imports recorded significant expansion.
Total imports of transport equipment and parts reached N6.54 trillion in 2025, marking a 37.07% increase from N4.77 trillion in 2024 and more than doubling the N3.15 trillion recorded in 2023.
Within this category, imports classified under “vehicles, aircraft, and parts” rose by 31.84% year-on-year to N5.92 trillion. Other transport equipment surged even faster, jumping 55.99% to N3.39 trillion.
This growth was largely fueled by demand for industrial and commercial transport tools. A closer breakdown shows industrial transport equipment imports rising by 64.63% to N2.66 trillion, while non-industrial equipment increased by 30.92% to N728.59 billion.
Additionally, spending on parts and accessories grew by 18.01% to N1.57 trillion. Although passenger vehicle imports are recovering, they still represent a relatively small portion of Nigeria’s import profile.
The real momentum lies in industrial and commercial transport equipment, pointing to increased investments in logistics, infrastructure, and production capacity.
This pattern suggests that Nigeria’s import growth in 2025 was driven more by business and economic expansion than by consumer spending on personal cars.
It also underscores the country’s continued dependence on imported machinery and heavy-duty vehicles to support industrial activity and supply chains, reinforcing the importance of transport infrastructure in sustaining economic recovery.
A major industry shakeup is about to hit the automobile industry in Nigeria as the government has moved against used car imports, emphasising that Nigeria is not a dumping ground for all sorts of vehicles. The government also has a lineup of plans to encourage the local production and assembly of cars in Nigeria.
