If you ask the average person to tell you where to buy a car (tokunbo or Nigerian used), they’ll mention places like Jiji.ng, TokunboCars.NG, Cars.ng, Cars45, etc. Some will even recommend Facebook Marketplace. Well, these are good recommendations too but in this guide, we’ll primarily consider something much more traditional. Places where you can interact face to face with less worries that you might be dealing with a scammer. It’s different from buying online where some of the deals are either too good to be true or the seller is trying to cajole you into buying a lemon (a vehicle that will break down on the next stop).
So, what are these incredibly cheap places you should be car-shopping right now if you don’t really have money?
Cheapest Place to Buy a Car in Nigeria
Sunrise, Apapa
You don’t even have to pre-order cars when there are lots of cars here in Sunrise waiting for buyers at cheaper rates. There are lots of cars and trucks in locations like Abule Ado bus stop along Badagry Expressway. You’ll find many offices at Sunrise Park from sellers who have little or no time for internet marketing and drama.
All it takes to buy a cheap car here in Sunrise is to make the seller smile. You’ll be surprised at the number of cars you will find in sellers’ inventories and their prices. Nobody here will care to use grammar to deceive you. However, they’ll try to sell for the most money using attractive terms like chilling AC, sound engine, baked on first body, etc.
Berger Car Market, Lagos
Come to Berger, buy and drive any used car of your choice. It’s just after Mile 2 along Apapa Expressway. However, avoid Berger if you don’t know any trustworthy person so you don’t end up buying problems.
Berger is arguably the biggest auto market in Lagos. You will find many vehicles here, and probably even find it difficult to make a choice due to the large selections available. Make sure you come to Berger with someone who is familiar with the place.
And before you pay for a car, have the VIN (vehicle identification number) checked. If you come here without preparation, you will end up paying for a very bad deal. Don’t forget to do an underbody rust inspection as part of your pre-purchase inspection. Finally, test drive before you sign the receipt at Berger.
FESTAC
You’ll find a lot of dealerships and private sellers here in Festac. If someone claims to be the direct owner, make sure it’s their name on the title because many of them are middlemen who end up inflating the car price. Festac/Amuwo Odofin is a cheap place to buy a car here in Nigeria. While we have a lot of cheap cars here, not all vehicles are cheap in FESTAC. So, it all depends. But the important thing is that you’ll find a car just cleared direct from the US and has been cleared through Nigerian Customs.
Ojo, Lagos
In Ojo, you’ll find lots of busy areas selling automobiles. An example is St Peter’s Road, where they offload cars in containers from London. Typical cars you’ll find here include Toyota Corolla, Peugeot, Lexus, etc. Some of the vehicles arrive as left-hand while some are right-hand. The right hand vehicles are converted to left-hand drive by our local mechanics just behind the Red Cross behind the Alaba market. Dealers at Apapa and other car lots around Lagos buy them very cheap and resell across Nigeria. So, yes, you can come here and buy a very cheap car at the rate some dealers buy them.
Cotonou, Benin Republic
A lot of Nigerians buy their cars from Cotonou, which is outside Nigeria. Some are cheap and some are expensive, but Cotonou is the place to buy a very cheap car right now. In terms of cost, the truth is that buying a car from Cotonou is almost the same with Lagos, provided you obtain original clearing documents such as original custom papers.
For example, a Golf 2004 in cotonou with complete papers can cost about 4 million naira, and still a similar price here in Lagos.
However, Cotonou has an advantage in terms of good cars. A lot of the cars here are reliable, and there’s a theory that it’s better than Lagos cars due to Nigerian dealers not always being truthful.
Here in Lagos, a salvage (or accidented) vehicle that has been repaired can be sold as a good car. In Cotonou, however, most dealers will tell you the true condition of the car. Cotonou’s car market is so big that you might need 72 hours to go around shopping for the best deal.
Cotonou dealers tend to be honest, and they also help buyers to clear their cars at Cotonou Port. You need the dealer to help with the clearance due to the language barrier as French is Benin’s official language. Once you clear the vehicle, you’ll be given escorts to help you move it to the Nigeria border where you process your custom paper. The dealer can also connect you with a Customs officer at the border who will help you process your papers in one day.
Jiji.ng
If you don’t mind buying a car online, then one cheap place you should include in your book is Jiji. Sites like Jiji, Car45, Nairaland, etc. are built to bring sellers and buyers together from the comfort of their offices and homes. This makes it much easier to find what you want, compare the prices, negotiate, schedule a meeting, inspect the car, and pay for it. With this, you don’t have to travel around the entire city, let’s say you’re in Lagos, to find a good deal.
Now, when buying a car online, don’t pay in advance, not even if the seller promises to deliver the car after payment.
Yes, there are scammers on jiji, like any other classified advertisements website. So, the best thing to do is to only pay when you have seen and inspected the car.
Usually, those car ads you see that are very cheap and too good to be true are scams. The ridiculous price you see is just to lure you to pay before someone else does—that’s all. The scammers usually pick a location they know you won’t be able to go to. Then, they’ll tell you to pay so they can make delivery for you.
Word of mouth
If you’re not used to online transactions, you could still find yourself a cheap car offline through word of mouth. The only problem is that you will only have limited options. And to find others to compare, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for those you notified to find better deals. You can let your mechanic know you need a car. Other people you can tell are bankers, civil servants, and church members. Even your next door neighbor might know a good deal somewhere.
Also, unlike online deals, you’re more likely to negotiate with direct owners. This means you won’t pay an inflated price if you are fortunate not to find the car through an agent or a dealer. This is not to say that dealers and agents are bad people. No, they are not. In fact, you need our services to help you find a car in your local area much faster. They also have to look after their own pocket, except that some can be too greedy.
These are some of the cheap places to buy a car right now, and you should definitely check them out. The most important thing is to make sure the seller has original papers and that the car is in good condition.
