Nigeria’s weak power supply threatens EV push despite tax waivers for nearly 4,000 vehicles

Nigeria approved tax waivers for nearly 4,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in the first half of 2026, government data show, even as chronic electricity shortages threaten the country’s push for cleaner transport, Reuters reports.

The approvals are the first under a new programme promoting EV adoption through tax incentives and local assembly. The 2022 Energy Transition Plan projects EVs will make up 60 per cent of the vehicle fleet by 2050, but dealers say they now account for less than one per cent.

The economics remain tied to a 4,000-megawatt grid serving more than 200 million people, leaving charging stations, dealerships and battery-swapping operators reliant on generators.

“If we wait for electricity to become perfect before adopting EVs, the rest of the world will leave us behind,” said Bolanle Boboye, an executive at Saglev, Nigeria’s first EV manufacturer.

Public charging is limited, with about 48 stations as of late 2025, mostly in Lagos and Abuja. Boboye said extended-range EVs have doubled sales this year, while analysts see motorcycles and three-wheelers as the clearest path to electrification.