Official data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis has revealed that Nigeria imported $518 million worth of motor vehicles and parts from the United States between January and June 2025.

Passenger vehicles formed the bulk of the imports, amounting to $379 million during the six-month period. Vehicle parts followed with $104 million, while trucks, buses, and other specialized vehicles contributed $35 million.

A monthly breakdown indicated a steady inflow in the second quarter. In May, Nigeria brought in $95 million worth of vehicles and parts, and in June, imports stood at $92 million. Passenger car imports slightly declined from $70 million in May to $67 million in June, while parts dropped from $19 million to $18 million. Truck and bus imports also saw a marginal dip from $7 million to $6 million. Combined, the imports for May and June reached $187 million—over a third of the total for the first half of the year.

With an average monthly import value of around $86 million, Nigeria is on pace to surpass $1 billion in vehicle imports from the U.S. by the end of the year. The figures underscore Nigeria’s continued reliance on fully assembled vehicles, with passenger cars accounting for 73 per cent of the imports, parts 20 per cent, and trucks and buses seven per cent.

The trend highlights Nigeria’s limited domestic vehicle assembly capabilities, pushing importers to depend heavily on complete vehicles sourced from U.S. ports.

In contrast, South Africa—though slightly ahead with $525 million in total vehicle-related imports from the U.S. during the same period—focused largely on parts. The country imported $431 million worth of vehicle components, making up 82 per cent of its total, while passenger car imports stood at just $61 million. Nigeria’s car imports were more than six times that of South Africa, while its parts imports lagged significantly behind.

South Africa’s robust local automotive manufacturing sector relies on parts imports to support assembly plants and service operations. Nigeria, however, remains dependent on imported finished vehicles due to the small and fragmented nature of its local assembly industry.

Additionally, South Africa experienced a sharp drop in vehicle-related imports—from $143 million in May to $80 million in June—mainly due to a fall in parts imports. Nigeria’s imports, on the other hand, dipped only slightly by 3.2 per cent over the same period, indicating consistent demand driven by retail purchases.

Although relatively modest at $35 million, imports of trucks and buses play a key role in supporting Nigeria’s logistics, construction, and transport industries.

Earlier data showed that in 2024, Nigeria experienced a decline in passenger vehicle imports, as inflation and a weakening naira made foreign exchange costlier, raising the price of imported vehicles.

Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that the value of passenger car imports fell by 14.3 per cent in 2024, dropping to ₦1.26 trillion from ₦1.47 trillion in 2023. The decline followed a significant spike in 2023, when imports more than doubled compared to 2022. However, the economic challenges of 2024 prompted consumers and businesses to cut back on discretionary spending, with imported vehicles among the most affected.