Nigeria's EV Policy in 2025: What the Government Is Actually Doing

A Plant Opens in Ikorodu

In June 2025, a facility in Imota, Ikorodu opened its doors quietly. Five thousand square metres of assembly floor, machinery calibrated for electric vehicles only, and a team where 80% of the technicians came up through NADDC training programs. SAGLEV Electromobility Nigeria Limited had just become the operator of the first dedicated EV assembly plant in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For a country where most people's relationship with energy is still measured in generator costs and fuel-queue hours, that moment was significant. Real momentum, real facilities, real legislation moving through the National Assembly, and honest gaps that no press release will fill.

The Bill That Has Not Yet Become Law

On November 5, 2025, Nigeria's Senate advanced the Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill to its second reading. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North sponsored it; the Senate Committee on Industry received it for review. As of April 2026, the bill has not passed third reading, has not gone to the House of Representatives, and has not received presidential assent. It is not yet law.

That matters, because the bill's provisions are significant. If enacted, it would require every fuel station in Nigeria to install EV charging points. It would mandate a minimum of 30% local content sourcing for EV components by 2030 and require local assemblers to produce at least 5,000 vehicles annually meeting international safety standards. Foreign automakers operating in Nigeria would have three years to partner with licensed Nigerian assemblers and establish local plants, with fines of up to NGN 250 million per breach for non-compliance.

The bill also proposes tax holidays, road tax relief, import duty waivers, toll exemptions, and subsidies for EV users and investors. For unlicensed importers, the number is severe: NGN 500 million per shipment, with goods subject to confiscation.

Sam Faleye, CEO of SAGLEV, put the legislation in context: "The bill is at least 30 years overdue. Nigeria once had functioning assembly plants but now struggles with over 80% imported used vehicles annually."

Not everyone agrees on the timeline. Stanley Awelewa of Tim International told TechCabal: "The 2030 local content timeline is not realistic given infrastructure constraints." Cyril Baros, an automotive technician quoted by Nairametrics, raised the question the industry keeps returning to: "How many certified EV technicians do we have in the country? You cannot legislate a transition without first preparing the workforce."

What Duties Apply to EV Imports Right Now

You do not need to wait for the bill to pass. Since January 2024, EVs imported into Nigeria are exempt from Value Added Tax and the Import Adjustment Tax under the VAT Modification Order 2024. This exemption does not apply to conventional petrol vehicles.

The numbers, compared to what you would pay on a standard tokunbo:

Charge	Electric Vehicle	Conventional Used Car
Import duty	10-20% of CIF value	35% of CIF value
Levy	15% NAC levy	35% levy
VAT	Exempt	Applicable
Import Adjustment Tax	Exempt	Applicable
ECOWAS Trade Levy	0.5%	0.5%
Combined effective tariff	Roughly 25-35%	~70%

The NAC levy and ECOWAS Trade Levy still apply to EVs regardless of the VAT exemption. EV assemblers who obtain an Import Duty Exemption Certificate (IDEC) from NADDC can reduce their landed costs further. SAGLEV's chairman credited NADDC specifically for five years of IDEC support.

One constraint worth knowing: only vehicles manufactured in 2015 or later are permitted for import under current Customs rules. That 10-year window directly shapes which EV models are available and affordable in Nigeria's used-car market.

Nigeria's Targets: Where the Numbers Come From

The targets stack across several frameworks. It helps to know which body set which goal.

• NADDC roadmap: EVs to account for 30% of all vehicle sales by 2033; at least 30% locally produced EVs by 2032 under the Electric Vehicle Development Plan (EVDP).
• ZEV Declaration (signed May 22, 2024): 100% of new car and van sales to be zero-emission by 2040. Nigeria signed alongside Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda at the International Transport Forum.
• Nigeria Energy Transition Plan (2022): EVs at 60% of total vehicle sales by 2050 and 100% of the market by 2060, aligned with the country's 2060 net-zero target.

These are commitments, not guarantees. The Energy Transition Plan itself describes EVs as "only realistic post-2030" as an interim strategy while the grid expands.

What Is Actually Being Built

Two manufacturing milestones are worth separating from the announcements, because they have already happened.

SAGLEV's Ikorodu plant can assemble 2,600 vehicles per year on a single shift, scalable to 10,000 units without any physical expansion. The facility covers more than 8,000 square metres in total.

On January 30, 2026, the Federal Government signed an MOU with South Korea's Asia Economic Development Committee to establish what is described as Africa's first EV manufacturing plant, targeting 300,000 vehicles annually and 10,000 jobs. The project runs in two phases: assembly first, then full in-house production. NADDC's announcement projected the facility could reduce Nigeria's annual fuel import bill by approximately USD 10 billion per year. South Korea's AEDC Chairman Yoon Suk Hun said at the signing: "This partnership aims to elevate Nigeria's automotive industry to world-class standards within 20 to 30 years."

Charging Infrastructure: Honest Numbers

Approximately 12 public EV charging and battery-swapping sites exist nationwide as of late 2025. Most are in Lagos and Abuja. Qoray Mobility operates 6 stations in Lagos. Possible EVS covers Abuja. NADDC has piloted solar-powered stations at UNILAG, UNN, and UDUS.

If you charge at a Qoray AC station (22kW), you pay NGN 300 per kWh. DC fast charging (60kW) runs at NGN 500 per kWh. These are real prices, not projections.

Charging stations operate under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and must comply with the Electricity Act and the Grid Code for public operations. There is no standalone NERC regulation specific to EV charging yet. Operators apply for general electricity distribution licences.

On March 26, 2026, President Tinubu expanded the Presidential Initiative on CNG to include electric vehicles, renaming it "PiCNG and EV." This body will now coordinate Nigeria's clean mobility strategy across both CNG and EV infrastructure deployment nationwide. The coordination mandate is new; the funding and timelines are not yet public.

The Market in Numbers

Nigeria's EV market was valued at approximately USD 58 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 230 million by 2030. EV registrations grew 143% in the 18 months to late 2025. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 electric vehicles were on Nigerian roads by end-2025, representing 0.5 to 1% of the total vehicle fleet.

The charging station market is projected at USD 13.97 billion by 2035, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 6.8% from 2025 to 2031. The NMDPRA identifies poor electricity supply, high vehicle costs, and limited charging infrastructure as the three primary obstacles to getting there.

What Happens Next

The EV Transition Bill must move through the Senate Committee on Industry before returning for a third reading. If it passes the Senate, it goes to the House of Representatives, then to the President for assent. A realistic estimate for full enactment, assuming no significant delays, puts it in late 2026 at the earliest.

SAGLEV's plant in Ikorodu is operational now and assembling vehicles. The South Korea MOU manufacturing facility is in early-stage planning; the 300,000-vehicle target is a Phase II ambition, not an immediate output.

NADDC's 2033 target of 30% EV sales requires roughly a 30x increase from the current 1% penetration rate. That requires grid capacity, technician training, and charging infrastructure to grow in parallel with the vehicle fleet. The bill's training mandates and the IDEC program are concrete steps. Whether the pace matches the ambition will depend on execution, not legislation.

What These Cost on ChargeWay

You do not have to navigate the import process alone. ChargeWay sources quality tested used EVs direct from China at wholesale pricing. Every vehicle is properly inspected before it ships. Here is what you could pay right now:

Model	FOB Price	Est. Landed Price	Range
BYD Seagull	$10,000	~N18,500,000	305 km
Neta V	$12,000	~N22,000,000	380 km
BYD Dolphin	$16,000	~N28,000,000	427 km

These are estimated wholesale prices for quality tested vehicles, shipped direct from China. No middleman markup, no dealer premium. Final prices depend on current exchange rates at time of order. Visit chargeway.africa/cars for live pricing and available stock.