Competition heightens among Chinese brands in Nigeria’s auto market, IVM and Nord Motors missing from the game

Chinese car companies are becoming really popular in Nigeria. They're competing with Japanese, Korean, European, and American brands. Chinese cars are selling a lot, so dealers are adding more of them to their lineup. Some even dropped other brands to focus on Chinese ones because they think they can make more money that way. A report says China sold more cars than Japan in the first three months of 2023. Brands like MG, GAC, Chery, Geely, and Changan are doing well in Nigeria. Stallion Motors, CIG Motors, PAN Nigeria, and Mikano are some of the companies selling these Chinese cars. Chinese cars like Geely, Changan, and JAC are popular because they're affordable and have good features. Many people are buying them because the economy is tough and they can't afford more expensive cars.

However, amidst this fierce competition, notable absences include two prominent Nigerian automakers: Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) and Nord Motors. Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, started by a Nigerian businessman named Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, used to be praised as a sign of Nigerian-made cars.

Even though Innoson Motors, a big Nigerian car manufacturer, launched new cars that run on natural gas, they're still struggling to sell many cars. People say one reason is that Innoson cars are too expensive compared to imported ones. They also think the designs of Innoson cars aren't as good as the imported ones. Some people on Twitter even say Innoson doesn't advertise their cars well enough. They think Innoson needs to improve its marketing and make its cars more affordable and better designed.

Similarly, Nord cars aren't really leading either. They don't sell many cars because Nigerians don't buy many locally-made cars. According to the CEO, they started making cars about four years ago, but they haven't sold many because not many people want to buy them. He thinks it's because Nigerians don't earn much money, and the cars they make are too expensive for most people. Also, many Nigerians prefer to buy used cars instead of new ones. 

The prices of these cars are more expensive compared to the other Chinese cars. Hence, they're not really a part of the car brands gaining traction in Nigeria.