More Foreign Investors, Manufacturers Can Boost Nigeria’s Automotive Industry – WAAS Exhibition Manager

The Exhibition Manager of the West Africa Automotive Show (WAAS), Georgina Lloyd, has said that Nigeria’s automotive industry has great potential and can grow faster if more foreign investors and manufacturers come into the country.

Speaking at the 2025 edition of WAAS held at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, Lloyd described Nigeria as a key market in Africa with many opportunities for automotive businesses.

“We’ve been running this show for five years and each year, it keeps getting bigger,” she said. 

“This year is our biggest edition so far, with over 300 companies from different countries participating. Nigeria is a great place to host this kind of event because it has a large and growing market.”

The West Africa Automotive Show is an event where car parts dealers, manufacturers, and suppliers from across the world come together to showcase their products and meet local business partners. Countries like India, China, and Qatar were among those represented at the 2025 event.

Lloyd said one of the main goals of WAAS is to bring new ideas and modern technology to help Nigeria improve its automotive industry.

“It’s not just about selling car parts. We are also bringing in new innovations that can help Nigeria grow its local industry and catch up with global standards,” she explained.

One of the returning exhibitors, Nidal Elayen, who is the Sales and Marketing Director of Qatol Lubricant from Qatar, said his company first attended WAAS in 2023 when they were still new to the Nigerian market.

“Since then, we have grown. We are now selling in many African countries and Nigeria is a top priority for us,” Elayen said. “We are building strong partnerships here because we believe this is one of the most promising markets in Africa.”

Elayen also called for better support from the government to make doing business in Nigeria easier. He mentioned that high taxes and import duties are major challenges for foreign companies.

“There is so much we can achieve here if trade becomes easier. We hope that Nigeria and Qatar can work out trade agreements to help reduce costs and encourage more investment,” he added.

Another exhibitor, Mr. Eke Urum, Manager for R & G Automobile from India, said Nigeria is the biggest automotive market in Africa, and foreign companies are eager to tap into the growing demand.

“This is the right place to be. We are here to connect with new partners and expand our business,” he said.

Urum stressed the need for Nigeria to move beyond just importing car parts. He said the country should start producing them locally by training engineers and mechanics and building small factories.

“We want to start with small parts like bolts and spanners, and then grow to making bigger parts like gears. We already have the market. What we need now is support and cooperation from government and local businesses,” he said.

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