Where To Buy Used Cars In Lagos?
There are several automobile hubs in Lagos where one can buy used cars. Lagos car hubs and dealerships are among the largest in the country. A sizable price difference, up to hundreds of thousands, can exist between the prices of cars sold at Lagos hubs and those sold in other cities in Nigeria.
It is due to market proximity to the first port of call for car imports into the country, either Apapa or Tin-Can ports. Here, you will know where to find foreign used auto marketplaces in Lagos or how we can assist you in importing a vehicle right from Germany. Whether you are a first-time or regular importer, you may try our free consultation service to import cars to any African country.
Where To Buy Foreign Used Cars In Lagos
Foreign used cars became an all-time favorite of Nigerians following the downturn of Nigeria’s economy in the 80s leading up to the early 90s. During this time, most middle-class earners could no longer afford brand-new cars or “tear rubber” in local parlance. Nigerians nicknamed imported foreign used cars “tokunbo” cars, and these cars became the order of the day. “Tokunbo” is a Yoruba word that means “from overseas.”
Foreign-Used Car Market in Nigeria
It may interest you that exporters send up to 70% of cars previously driven in parts of Europe, America, and Asia to Africa to resell them as second-hand cars. These car exports from countries like Germany, Spain, the US, Canada, Japan, and Dubai arrive at Nigerian ports daily. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, receives many of these cars at their ever-busy Lagos ports.
Categories of used cars sold in Nigeria
If you are seeking an answer to where to buy used cars in Lagos, you’re just about to find out as you read further.
In the city of Lagos, there are some places where you can buy any used vehicle, ranging from sedans and SUVs to buses and trucks. Generally, there are two categories of used cars sold in Nigeria. They include:
- Foreign-used cars (Tokunbo cars)
- Nigerian-used cars (Second-hand cars)
Foreign used cars (Tokunbo cars)
Depending on their condition, importers often repair, repaint, and replace some parts on used or salvaged vehicles imported into the country from overseas before car dealerships across the country put them up for sale.
Nigerian buyers perceive foreign-used cars as an excellent alternative to brand-new vehicles because they believe the previous foreign owners often have the right roads and the maintenance culture, which leaves the cars in perfect condition. Amongst popular foreign-used car brands that sell fast in Nigeria are Toyota, Lexus, Mercedes, Honda, Peugeot, and Volkswagen, among others.
Nigerian-used cars (Locally Used Vehicles)
Depending on their condition, importers often repair, repaint, and replace some parts on used or salvaged vehicles imported into the country from overseas before car dealerships across the country put them up for sale.
Car buyers in Nigeria go for this category of cars because they are usually way cheaper than brand-new or tokunbo equivalents. It is a common choice for buyers with low budgets for their desired cars.
Popular Automobile Hubs in Lagos
If you are looking for information on where to buy fairly used cars in Lagos, you’ve arrived at the right source for this information. In the following few lines, you will read all the information that you need to know about automobile hubs in Lagos, where used cars are sold. The three most popular places to buy used cars in Lagos are:
- Berger Auto Market
- Ojodu Berger Car Garage
- Festac Car Dealerships
Berger Auto Market
Berger car market is located along Mile 2 – Apapa Expressway, Lagos, and is the largest of all the automobile hubs in Lagos. People often refer to it as Berger Park, Apapa Lagos. Importers bring cars sold in the Berger Auto Market from countries like Germany, the US, Canada, Spain, Japan, etc. The Berger car market arguably holds the position as the largest used car market in Nigeria and the second largest in West Africa, following the Cotonou car market in the Benin Republic.
A visit to Berger Park revealed a cluster of independent car importers and dealers who came together to form a booming car hub. A union known as the United Berger Auto Dealers Association powers the group. The market is divided into various sections of car dealers who deal with different classes and brands of automobiles. Separate sections exist for SUVs, sedans, and luxury vehicles. One can expect to find dealers who only deal with a particular car brand. During our visit, we saw some dealers who strictly sell Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Volkswagen brands of autos.
Ojodu Berger Car Garage
There are two popular locations in Lagos called Berger, where cars are sold. One is Apapa Berger, and the other is Ojodu Berger. Apapa Berger dealers strictly foreign-used cars, while Ojodu Berger mainly uses Nigerian-used cars. Finding a couple of dealers of foreign-used automobiles in the Ojodu Berger car garage is also possible.
Ojodu Berger is located on the outskirts of Lagos town. It is a border between Lagos and Ogun State. A preferred location for buyers from outside the city, such as buyers from the Ogun axis and environs.
Nigerian-used cars are available in large quantities at reasonable prices, an auto dealer we met inside the garage pitched.
Festac Town Auto Dealers
Festac, popularly called a Satellite town by Lagosians, is another popular place to buy cars in Lagos State. If you’ve ever been to Festac to purchase cars, you’ll agree that it is mostly segregation of car dealers who own individual car stands and run their separate dealerships. Whether you are buying your vehicle from Berger or Festac auto dealers, the rule of engagement is pretty much the same across Lagos.
There is often little price difference, but Berger has a more abundant supply of foreign-used cars. Car dealerships in Festac sell both foreign-used and Nigerian-used autos. The most popular section of Festac town is where you can find car dealers in Amuwo Odofin.
Tips for buying used cars in Nigeria
When buying a used car from any of the automobile hubs in Nigeria, you must pay attention to a few concerns. The following tips for buying used cars in Nigeria will help you buy only the best cars.
Odometer fraud
Odometer fraud is the illegal act of rolling back the odometer reading of a car to show a lesser mileage than what it is. Insincere car dealers commonly perpetrate this fraud to charge buyers more for cheap autos. It takes a trained eye to detect when this fraud has been carried out on any car, but it is almost impossible to see for an untrained eye.
See also → How Genuine Low Mileage Cars Can Impact Resale Value
However, relying on a VIN report, also known as a VIN check, will expose this illegal act in less than 2 minutes. There are numerous free VIN check websites that can serve this purpose.
You can also read this article on detecting odometer fraud and performing a free VIN check to guide you when buying used cars in Nigeria.
Smuggled Cars and Forged Documents
Importers must pay the total customs duty for every car they import into the country, and only then can they say that customs have cleared the vehicle.
However, some unpatriotic car dealers in Nigeria try to circumvent the system to their profit advantage by smuggling cars through porous land borders and refusing to pay customs duty.
The end game is that they forge fake custom clearance, which they give to unsuspecting car buyers who will eventually buy such cars.
The penalty for driving a vehicle with a false or no customs clearance in Nigeria is a seizure of the auto by the Nigerian Customs Authority. One way to mitigate this concern is to take the acclaimed customs papers to the nearest customs office for verification.
Key Learnings Buying Used In Lagos
Lagos is the commercial capital of Nigeria. With a population of over 20 million, it may have overtaken Kano to become the most populated city in Nigeria. Lagos’s car market is the largest in West Africa and has many demands.
That makes the movement of people and cars in and out of the city prevalent. Lagos shares land borders with Ogun State, with connections to other states in Nigeria. Lagos also shares a land border with the Benin Republic known as the Seme border at the Badagry exit point of the country.
The two most significant seaports in the city and the access to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport give Lagos the present status of being the hotspot of used autos in Nigeria. You’ve come to the end of this article, which discusses the popular automobile hubs in Lagos where used cars are sold.
Relate Topics For Buying A Car In Nigeria
Importing Used Cars To Abuja, Nigeria From Germany
Buying Cheap Used Cars In Germany For Export
Car Selling Websites: List Of Top Auto Sites In The EU
Calculating Car Import Duty In Nigeria And Vehicle Importation
