Nigeria imported motorcycles worth N146.11 billion in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics report from the National Bureau of Statistics.
This represents a significant 24.4% increase compared to the N117.4 billion spent on motorcycle imports during the same period in 2024.
The NBS report specifically highlighted the importation of “Motorcycles and cycles fitted with auxiliary motor, petrol fuel, capacity >50<250cc, CKD" from India as the primary contributor to this expenditure.
This continued reliance on imported motorcycles comes despite Nigeria having several local assembly plants and widespread state-level bans on motorcycle usage due to security and safety concerns.
Security measures have led to motorcycle bans across multiple states. In 2019, the Nigerian Army prohibited motorcycle use in remote areas of seven northern states including Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi and Niger. Lagos State has implemented partial or total bans on commercial motorcycles at least four times since 1999. Several eastern states like Enugu and Anambra have also enforced similar restrictions.
The NBS report further revealed that Nigeria spent a total of N7.8 trillion in Q1 2025 on various industrial and manufacturing-related imports. This category, which includes used vehicles, herbicides, polypropylene, and telecommunication equipment, accounted for 21.67% of the country's total trade during the period.
