Nigeria Spends N6.5trn On Transport Equipment Imports As Vehicle Demand Persists

Nigeria’s dependence on imported transport equipment and spare parts deepened in 2025, with total spending on the category rising to N6.54 trillion, according to the latest foreign trade data from the National Bureau of Statistics.

The figures show a steady surge in imports over the past four years, highlighting the country’s continued reliance on foreign vehicles, industrial machinery and spare parts to support transportation, logistics and industrial operations.

Data from the statistics agency indicates that transport equipment imports increased significantly from N4.77 trillion in 2024, N3.15 trillion in 2023, and N1.88 trillion in 2022.

Passenger vehicles accounted for a substantial portion of the import bill. The value of passenger car imports rose to N1.58 trillion in 2025, compared with N1.26 trillion in 2024. Earlier figures stood at N1.47 trillion in 2023 and N656 billion in 2022.

Other transport equipment imports reached N3.39 trillion during the year, with industrial machinery dominating the category at N2.66 trillion, while non-industrial transport equipment contributed N729 billion.

Imports of spare parts and accessories also climbed to N1.57 trillion in 2025, up from N1.33 trillion in 2024 and N713 billion in 2023, reflecting the ageing vehicle fleet and growing industrial activities across the country.

Analysts note that the rising import values are partly driven by exchange-rate pressures, as the weaker naira raises the local cost of imported vehicles even when volumes remain relatively stable.

Economists warn that Nigeria’s heavy reliance on imported transport equipment continues to place pressure on foreign exchange reserves and underscores the need to expand local automobile assembly and strengthen domestic supply chains.