Nigeria’s importation of vehicles, aircraft, vessels and related transport equipment rose sharply to N1.75 trillion in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting sustained demand for transportation assets despite ongoing efforts to boost local production.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics for Q1 2026 showed that imports under the category “Vehicles, Aircraft and Parts Thereof; Vessels etc.” increased to N1.75 trillion during the quarter, compared to N1.22 trillion in the corresponding period of 2025.

The latest figure also represents a significant increase from N850.63 billion recorded in Q1 2024, highlighting the growing contribution of transport equipment to Nigeria’s import bill.

What the data is saying

The NBS data indicates a steady rise in Nigeria’s spending on imported transport equipment over recent years.

Other News

  • Imports of vehicles, aircraft, vessels and related parts stood at N396.99 billion in Q1 2023.
  • The figure increased to N850.63 billion in Q1 2024 before rising to N1.22 trillion in Q1 2025.
  • By Q1 2026, imports had climbed further to N1.75 trillion, representing a 43.81% increase year-on-year.
  • The category accounted for N5.92 trillion worth of imports throughout 2025.

The data also showed that passenger motor car imports under the Broad Economic Categories classification increased by 145.94% year-on-year to N552.34 billion in Q1 2026 from N224.58 billion recorded in Q1 2025.

The strong growth reflects rising demand for both commercial and passenger vehicles as economic activities continue to recover across several sectors.

More insights

Industry data suggests that Nigeria continues to rely heavily on imports to meet domestic demand for vehicles and transport equipment.

  • The United States remained the largest source of both new and used passenger vehicle imports into Nigeria during 2025 and 2026, accounting for more than 80% of total passenger and used car import values.

Other major import sources include the United Arab Emirates, Canada, South Africa and several European countries, including Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The increase in vehicle imports comes amid rising consumer demand and growing commercial transportation needs.

  • Aircraft, marine vessels and related spare parts also contributed to the overall increase in transport equipment imports.

What you should know

Nigeria has introduced several policies aimed at developing its local automotive industry and reducing reliance on imported vehicles.

  • The National Automotive Industry Development Plan seeks to encourage local assembly and manufacturing through investment incentives.
  • Several automobile assembly plants currently operate in Nigeria, producing passenger and commercial vehicles for the domestic market.
  • The government has also promoted the adoption of compressed natural gas and electric vehicles as part of broader transportation reforms.

Despite these initiatives, imported vehicles continue to dominate the Nigerian market due to supply gaps and consumer preferences.