Nigerian government approves tax waivers for 4,000 electric vehicles despite infrastructure challenges

This initiative is part of a new government program to encourage cleaner transport through tax incentives and local assembly. Nigeria's 2022 Energy Transition Plan targets electric vehicles to account for 60 percent of the country's vehicle fleet by 2050, though current EV adoption is less than one percent. Fiscal measures include exempting EVs from value-added tax in 2024 and reducing import duties to zero this year.

The main challenge is Nigeria's unreliable electricity grid, which supplies about 4,000 megawatts to over 200 million people, leading to widespread reliance on generators. Bolanle Boboye, an executive at Saglev, Nigeria's first electric vehicle manufacturer, suggests pursuing energy and transport transitions simultaneously, noting that EVs can still reduce emissions even when charged with diesel-generated electricity. Nigeria has only about 48 public EV charging stations as of late 2025, mostly in Lagos and Abuja, compared to over 500 in South Africa.

Many Nigerian EV owners charge vehicles at home, often using portable cables. Extended-range electric vehicles and hybrids are gaining popularity due to unreliable electricity. Manufacturers like BYD and Geely are expanding their presence with models more suitable for the