FEMI OWOEYE
Every day, thousands of Nigerians climb into vehicles that look modern, feel solid, and sound powerful. But that, in reality, might crumble like tin cans in a serious crash.
Despite a new generation of car models and an expanding market, Nigeria still records some of the world’s deadliest roads. According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), 5,421 people lost their lives in 2024 alone, and tens of thousands more were injured. The World Health Organization consistently places Nigeria among the countries with the highest road traffic mortality rates, hovering around 21 deaths per 100,000 populations.
The human toll is staggering. But beneath the familiar causes, bad roads, reckless driving, weak enforcement lies a quieter, more technical failure: Nigeria’s lack of robust vehicle crash standards.
In many showrooms across the country, gleaming SUVs and sedans are marketed as “brand new” or “Tokunbo certified.” Yet experts warn that many of these vehicles, though stylish, would score dismally in international crash tests.
Manufacturers, in pursuit of market share, often sell cut-spec models to African markets, talking about vehicles stripped of key safety features like multiple airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), or reinforced crash structures.
A recent Global NCAP demonstration revealed a sobering truth. The same model of pick-up truck sold in Europe protected its occupants far better than the version made for Africa. The European variant had six airbags and a reinforced cabin; the African one had just two and folded badly in the test.
Without a local crash-testing regime, Nigeria remains a dumping ground for lower-spec cars that would never pass regulatory approval elsewhere.
The Tokunboh Factor
The problem is not just with new imports. Nigerian roads are dominated by imported used vehicles, popularly known as Tokunboh. Before being exported to Nigeria, many of those used vehicles, which are imported mainly from North America, Europe, and Asia, are over a decade old,. These vehicles are cheaper but often arrive with degraded safety systems, removed airbags, or outdated crash designs.
Until recently, Nigeria’s import laws allowed vehicles as old as 15 years to enter the market. Although the government began tightening import age limits in 2025, enforcement remains inconsistent. The result: an ageing fleet with weak crash resistance and no systematic inspection of safety equipment before sale.
“Most Nigerians buy cars based on price and brand reputation, not safety,” says a Lagos-based dealer who asked not to be named. “People ask how strong the engine is, not how well the car protects them in a crash.”
A Regulatory Void
Nigeria has a Road Safety Corps that works tirelessly on enforcement and education. But when it comes to vehicle safety certification, there’s a gaping void.
There is no independent crash-testing authority or local equivalent of the European or ASEAN NCAPs. No public rating system informs buyers which cars are safer. And no consistent type-approval framework ensures that cars assembled or imported meet minimum crash standards.
At the ports, customs checks focus on documentation and duties, not airbags or structural integrity. Even basic safety regulations — like mandatory seatbelt use or regular roadworthiness tests — are poorly enforced.
“The current system focuses on road behaviour but not vehicle behaviour,” notes a senior motoring journalist. “We talk about bad drivers and bad roads, but we forget that the car itself is part of the safety equation.”
Global NCAP has long called out manufacturers for double standards, offering world-class safety in Europe and substandard versions in Africa. The organization’s 2023–2024 tests showed that some popular models sold in sub-Saharan Africa would fail to meet even the most basic crash requirements in developed markets.
These vehicles are not “unsafe by accident”; they’re unsafe by design, the outcome of lax regulation and poor consumer awareness.
Without a local New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), there is no data to pressure manufacturers, and no motivation for improvement.
The Nigerian government has shown signs of awareness. In 2025, customs and transport authorities moved to enforce stricter import-age limits and to develop a national vehicle type-approval framework. However, without funding for testing infrastructure or trained inspectors, progress remains largely on paper.
Elsewhere, similar reforms have saved lives. Latin American and Asian countries that introduced NCAP testing and stricter import controls saw measurable reductions in road deaths within a decade. Nigeria could do the same, if policy meets action.
A Way Forward
Experts agree on the roadmap. To catch up with global standards, Nigeria must:
- Establish an independent vehicle testing and rating body, ideally in partnership with Global NCAP or the African Development Bank.
- Mandate minimum safety features, especially airbags, ABS, and ESC, for all new and imported vehicles.
- Implement strict technical inspections for commercial and used cars.
- Launch a nationwide safety-awareness campaign to make Nigerians value safety features as much as engine power or fuel economy.
- Encourage local assembly plants to adopt global safety platforms, not downgraded variants.
Beyond the moral imperative, there’s an economic case for reform. The World Bank estimates that road crashes cost developing countries up to 3% of GDP annually through medical costs, lost productivity, and property damage.
In a country already grappling with inflation and infrastructure deficits, saving lives on the road is also about saving money — and building a safer environment for trade, tourism, and daily life.
The Road Ahead
Nigeria’s journey to safer roads won’t be quick or easy. It will demand political will, industry accountability, and public awareness.
But the alternative, continuing to lose thousands of citizens each year to preventable crashes, is far costlier.
Every life saved, every crash prevented, is a measure of national progress. The question is not whether Nigeria can afford to tighten its vehicle safety standards — but whether it can afford not to.
