Lagos isn’t just Nigeria’s busiest city; it is the beating heart of the automobile spare-parts trade in West Africa. With more than 11 million registered vehicles on Nigerian roads, the country leans heavily on a vast aftermarket economy to keep cars and buses moving.
In this ecosystem, Lagos is the region’s largest hub for replacement parts, where every nut, bolt, and bumper finds a buyer.
For many car owners in the city, a breakdown is not the end of the road; it is the beginning of a familiar journey into a bustling market. From Ladipo to Trade Fair, clusters of traders offer everything from engines shipped in from Europe to wiper blades repackaged from Asia. These markets operate as both lifeline and last resort, supplying affordable alternatives to official dealerships.
Some are sprawling complexes large enough to rival shopping malls, while others are narrow rows of makeshift stalls where mechanics and traders squeeze in side by side. Their reach extends beyond the city’s borders, drawing buyers from across the country and even neighbouring West African states.
The demand for spare parts is driven by Nigeria’s vehicle import patterns. The latest foreign trade report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that the total value of passenger car imports stood at N1.26 trillion in 2024.
According to data from the official Website of the International Trade Administration, Japanese brands dominate the new and used vehicle market, controlling almost a third due to their perceived reliability among consumers. The United States accounts for 60% of the used vehicles, while the heavy vehicles are used units imported from the US, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
With every new import comes the certainty of future repairs, ensuring that Lagos’ spare-parts markets remain vital.
This article is based on field visits to major Lagos spare-parts markets and interviews with spare part traders and mechanics.
Their insights provide context for this piece. Each market has carved out a niche for itself, catering to either different vehicle needs or customer segments.
Here are the 7 major automobile spare parts markets in Lagos