Nigerians spent at least ₦146.11 billion on motorcycle imports in the first quarter of 2025, according to the latest foreign trade statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
This figure marks a significant 24.4% increase from the ₦117.4 billion recorded during the same period in 2024. The NBS report highlighted that the majority of the imported motorcycles fell under the category of “motorcycles and cycles fitted with auxiliary motor, petrol fuel, capacity >50<250cc, CKD,” with most shipments originating from India.
The surge in imports comes despite the existence of local assembly plants and widespread restrictions on motorcycle usage in many Nigerian states, primarily due to security and safety concerns.
Several regions have maintained motorcycle bans for years. Notably, in 2019, the Nigerian Army banned motorcycles in remote areas of seven northern states—Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger—as part of efforts to curb banditry. Lagos State has imposed partial or complete bans on commercial motorcycles multiple times since 1999. Similar restrictions are also in place in parts of the southeast, including Enugu and Anambra states.
In addition to motorcycles, the NBS disclosed that Nigeria spent a total of ₦7.8 trillion on imports in Q1 2025. These included used vehicles, agricultural chemicals, industrial machinery, and telecommunications equipment—collectively making up 21.67% of the country’s total trade during the period.
The rising import bill, particularly for motorcycles, has raised concerns about Nigeria’s domestic manufacturing capacity and the overall impact of the existing bans across various states.
