Nigeria’s importation of used vehicles climbed sharply by 91.92 per cent to N249.84bn in the first quarter of 2026, despite the Federal Government’s push to strengthen control over vehicle inflows through a new compulsory certification system.
According to The Punch, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics’ Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics for Q1 2026 revealed that used vehicles fitted with diesel or semi-diesel engines above 2,500cc were imported at a total value of N249.84bn, up from N113.36bn recorded in the same period of 2025.
A breakdown of the data showed that the United States remained Nigeria’s largest supplier of used vehicles, accounting for N217.56bn in Q1 2026—about 87.1 per cent of total imports within the category.
Other supplying countries included the United Arab Emirates, which recorded N10.32bn, Canada with N8.72bn, Italy at N6.64bn, and China at N6.60bn.
Comparative analysis indicated that imports from the United States rose significantly by 132.67 per cent, increasing from N93.51bn in Q1 2025 to N217.56bn in Q1 2026. Shipments from the United Arab Emirates also grew by 21.65 per cent, rising from N8.48bn to N10.32bn over the same period.
Further examination of the figures showed a widening dominance of the US market in Nigeria’s used vehicle supply chain. Imports from the United States in Q1 2026 were about 6.74 times the combined value of imports from other countries, up from 4.71 times in the corresponding period of 2025.
The NBS also reported that Nigeria’s importation of passenger motor cars under the Broad Economic Categories classification increased by 145.94 per cent year-on-year, reaching N552.34bn in Q1 2026 from N224.58bn in Q1 2025.
However, this category does not exclusively cover used vehicles, commonly referred to as ‘Tokunbo’ cars in Nigeria.
The surge comes months after the Federal Government introduced tighter regulations aimed at blocking substandard vehicles from entering the country.
The Punch reported on March 31 that the Federal Government launched the Standard Organisation of Nigeria–National Automotive Design and Development Council Vehicle Conformity Assessment Programme, making certification mandatory for all imported vehicles.
At a stakeholders’ sensitisation workshop in Abuja, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh, described the VehCAP policy as an effective government policy.
Enoh said the policy takes immediate effect upon commencement, meaning all new and used vehicles entering Nigeria must obtain pre-shipment certification before Form M approval, customs valuation, PAAR processing, import clearance and final market entry.
He said, “The endorsement integrates vehicle safety into Nigeria’s economic policy framework. It aligns fiscal instruments, foreign exchange import financing, and revenue systems with safety and standards objectives. It also strengthens the long-standing work of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria and NADDC within a coordinated whole-of-government approach.
“And I think that with effect from the commencement of this SON-NADDC VehCAP, all new and used vehicles and automotive products entering Nigeria must obtain pre-shipment certification on that VehCAP before Form M approval, before customs valuation, before PAAR processing, before import clearance, and before market entry.”
He added that any vehicle failing to meet the required standards would be denied entry into the country.
Earlier in 2025, the Director-General of NADDC, Joseph Osanipin, said the Federal Government was working to regulate vehicle imports and auto dealers nationwide to curb the influx of accident-prone and condemned vehicles.
