Transport equipment imports reach N6.54 trillion, passenger vehicles drive increase

Nigeria’s reliance on imported transport equipment and spare parts intensified in 2025, with the country spending about N6.54 trillion on the category.

This is according to the latest Foreign Trade Statistics report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

The figures show a steady increase in transport equipment imports over the past four years, reflecting the country’s dependence on foreign vehicles, machinery, and spare parts to support mobility, logistics, and industrial operations.

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What the data is saying

Nigeria’s import bill for transport equipment underscores its dependence on foreign markets for vehicles and industrial machinery.

• Transport equipment and parts imports reached N6.54 trillion in 2025, up from N4.77 trillion in 2024.
• The value of imports rose from N3.15 trillion in 2023 and N1.88 trillion in 2022.
• Passenger vehicles, industrial machinery, and spare parts constitute the bulk of the imports.

The data suggests that the recent rise in passenger car imports is driven less by a surge in vehicle volumes and more by exchange-rate pass-through, as the weaker naira raises the local currency cost of imported vehicles.

The persistence of elevated import values into 2025 indicates that demand for vehicles — whether for household use, commercial transport or ride-hailing fleets — has remained resilient even as prices climb.

The data highlights a persistent reliance on imported transport solutions despite domestic production initiatives.

More insights

A closer look at the components of the import bill reveals the trends driving the surge:

• Passenger vehicles: Passenger motor cars accounted for N1.58 trillion in 2025, rising from N1.26 trillion in 2024. Earlier figures show N1.47 trillion in 2023 and N656 billion in 2022.
• Industrial transport equipment: “Other transport equipment” imports reached N3.39 trillion in 2025, with industrial machinery dominating at N2.66 trillion. Non-industrial transport equipment accounted for N729 billion.
• Spare parts and accessories: Nigeria imported N1.57 trillion worth of vehicle parts in 2025, up from N1.33 trillion in 2024 and N713 billion in 2023.

The rising import bills reflect the country’s ageing vehicle fleet and growing industrial activities dependent on imported machinery.

What you should know

Nigeria recorded a total passenger car import of N527 billion in the third quarter of 2025, more than double the N254 billion recorded in the same period in 2024.

• Nigeria remains heavily dependent on foreign markets for vehicles, with the United States, Dubai and South Africa serving as the main import hubs for passenger cars entering the country.
• Total value of Used Vehicles imported in the quarter hit N234.7 billion, with N184 billion of the figure imported from the United States.
• Economists warn that the surge in transport equipment imports increases pressure on Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves and highlights slow local industrialisation.

Analysts say expanding domestic automobile assembly plants and strengthening local supply chains could reduce import dependence.

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