Core Rules under the New Regulation:
1. VehCAP certificate must be obtained prior to shipment. The certificate is issued by authorized bodies in the exporting country after safety, structural and emission inspections. Post‑arrival inspection at Nigerian ports is not accepted.
2. Vehicles without a valid VehCAP certificate arriving at Lagos ports will be denied customs clearance. Importers cannot obtain Form‑M import permits, register vehicles at transport authorities, or secure foreign‑exchange approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria for import payments. Such vehicles risk detention, repatriation and heavy fines. All ocean‑freight and port‑storage costs shall be borne by the cargo owner.
3. Existing mandatory import requirements remain in force: passenger vehicles maximum age 12 years, commercial vehicles maximum age 10 years; only left‑hand‑drive vehicles are allowed; emissions must meet Euro 4 or higher, China III‑emission vehicles are banned. Salvage, flood‑damaged, reassembled and end‑of‑life vehicles are prohibited from import.
Nigeria is West‑Africa's largest used‑car consumption market. Previously, inspections were carried out after vehicles arrived at port. The new policy completely shifts to the model of certification before shipment, which raises export thresholds and phases out low‑quality and aged vehicles. Compliant high‑quality used cars and new‑energy vehicles will gain greater market opportunities.
Meanwhile, some trade flows may divert to transit ports such as Cotonou in Benin. Exporters must be alert to compliance risks for goods that are later diverted into Nigeria via indirect cross‑border routes.
