By Kingsley Adegboye

The 2026 edition of the ongoing West Africa Automotive Show (WAAS), Tuesday reinforced growing investors’ confidence in Nigeria’s automotive industry as stakeholders projected deeper foreign participation, increased local manufacturing and stronger regional market expansion.

The three-day exhibition, holding at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, attracted over 350 exhibitors and thousands of visitors from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, with industry players describing Nigeria as one of the continent’s largest automotive business destinations.

Speaking at the exhibition, the Exhibition Manager of WAAS, Peter May, said the show had continued to record remarkable growth while serving as a critical platform connecting international manufacturers with distributors and entrepreneurs across West Africa.

“For us each year, it is about growing the show as much as possible. This year, we have over 350 exhibitors, and we are expecting more than 6,000 visitors over the three days, which is about 850 more than last year,” May said.

He added that the exhibition was supporting Nigeria’s long-term industrial ambitions through increased exposure to global automotive products and technical expertise.

According to him, “We have worked with agencies like the NADDC because the end goal is to encourage more manufacturing plants in Nigeria. The influx of automotive products and technical knowledge will help that process.”

May further noted that WAAS had become an important gateway for foreign companies seeking entry into Nigeria and the wider West African market.

Also speaking, Bankole Ilori of C Woermann Nigeria Limited said the exhibition remained valuable for businesses operating within the automotive ecosystem because of the opportunities it created for market expansion and customer engagement.

“We have been in Nigeria for over 60 years, representing several OEM brands. WAAS has always been positive for us because we get callbacks from customers and opportunities to push our products into the market,” he said.

Ilori described Nigeria and West Africa as one of the biggest automotive markets globally, stressing that the region continued to attract the attention of major international brands.

Similarly, Eric Fantoji, General Manager of Winpart by CFAO, described WAAS as the leading automotive aftersales exhibition in the sub-region.

“It is the number one event in West Africa in terms of after-sales. We are sponsors of WAAS because our presence here is necessary,” he stated.

Fantoji disclosed that the company was exploring opportunities for local manufacturing of lubricants, batteries and spare parts in Nigeria to improve competitiveness and expand market reach.

“To manufacture locally is always in the conversation because it helps competitiveness and expands market reach. But such investments require careful planning,” he added.

On his part, Nnamdi of Bestaff said the exhibition provided a platform to showcase locally manufactured products and strengthen partnerships within the industry.

“At Bestaff, we are lubricant blenders and manufacturers. All the products displayed under our sister company, MRS, are manufactured in Nigeria at our plant in Apapa,” he said.

Also, Subash of Malaysia-based WR Carpenters revealed plans by the company to establish blending and repackaging facilities in Nigeria as part of efforts to deepen investments in the country.

“We are going to set up a factory in Nigeria for blending and repacking. That will reduce costs and bring more investment into the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ali Kouri of Germany-based ANK Auto Tyler said the exhibition offered international firms the opportunity to understand the Nigerian market better and strengthen relationships with customers.

“It is important for us to get closer to existing and potential customers so we can understand what the market needs and provide better service,” he noted.

Stakeholders at the exhibition, however, stressed the need for policy consistency, improved infrastructure and stronger support for local production to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s automotive industry.