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Nigeria’s passenger motor car imports surged 145.6% year-on-year to N1.18 trillion in the first half of 2026, driving a broader increase in the country’s transport equipment import bill.
The figure compares with N479.26 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
This is according to Nairametrics’ analysis of the Q1 and Q2 2026 Foreign Trade Statistics reports released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Overall, Nigeria imported N3.73 trillion worth of transport equipment and parts in H1 2026, up 44.2% from N2.59 trillion in H1 2025.
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Transport equipment imports rose from N1.75 trillion in Q1 to N1.99 trillion in Q2, while passenger motor car imports increased from N552.34 billion to N624.75 billion over the same period.
What the data is saying
Passenger motor cars recorded the strongest growth among the major transport import categories, with H1 imports more than doubling from the previous year.
- The category rose from N552.34 billion in Q1 2026 to N624.75 billion in Q2. In the corresponding quarters of 2025, passenger motor car imports stood at N224.58 billion and N254.67 billion respectively.
- Other transport equipment accounted for N1.83 trillion during the first six months of 2026, up from N1.36 trillion in H1 2025.
- Within this category, industrial transport equipment rose from N975.18 billion in H1 2025 to N1.39 trillion in H1 2026.
- Non-industrial transport equipment, however, increased more moderately to N440.73 billion from N380.96 billion.
Imports of parts and accessories stood at N722.59 billion in H1 2026, compared with N755.43 billion in the same period of 2025, representing a decline of about 4.4%.
The data therefore shows that the surge in the overall transport import bill was largely driven by complete passenger vehicles and other transport equipment, rather than parts and accessories.
Get up to speed
The increase in passenger vehicle imports comes amid policy measures by the Federal Government aimed at reducing transportation costs and encouraging the adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles.
- In April, the government waived import duties on electric vehicles, mass transit buses and manufacturing machinery as part of measures to ease economic pressures and support investment.
- In August, President Bola Tinubu announced that state governors had agreed to leverage compressed natural gas (CNG) and electric vehicles to reduce transportation costs nationwide from October 1, 2026.
- The government launched the Presidential CNG Initiative in 2023 following the removal of the petrol subsidy, positioning CNG as a cheaper and cleaner alternative for motorists and public transportation operators.
What you should know
The surge in passenger vehicle imports shows strong demand for vehicles while demonstrating Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported transport equipment.
Nairametrics earlier reported that the country’s CNG sector had attracted more than $2 billion in private-sector investment over two years.
Despite the investment, the Federal Government fell short of its 2025 targets for nationwide CNG infrastructure.
