No car has a better reputation in Nigeria than the Camry. Mechanics know it, parts are everywhere, and it holds its value because everybody wants the next one.

None of that is in dispute.

What changed on 1 July 2026 is where you should buy one from.

Engine size became a price

A green tax surcharge came into force that day, keyed to engine capacity rather than to age, price or badge.

Engine capacity	Surcharge
Below 2,000 cc	None
2,000 cc to 3,999 cc	2 per cent
4,000 cc and above	4 per cent

The same reform cut import levies, with used vehicles dropping from 15 per cent to 5. So the direction is clear. A smaller engine got cheaper to bring in and a larger one got more expensive.

The American Camry most Nigerians picture is frequently the 2.5, which sits above the line. The Chinese-market car is built to a domestic tax regime that has punished displacement for years, so its four-cylinder engines are specified to stay underneath 2,000 cc.

On a car you are importing, that is not a footnote. It is a tax band.

Left hand drive, as built

Nigeria drives on the right and normal registration expects left hand drive.

Chinese-market cars leave the factory left hand drive. They are not converted, and that matters more than people realise. A converted car is visible to anyone who knows where to look, it affects resale for as long as you own it, and conversion quality varies enormously between the people doing it.

This is one of the quieter arguments for sourcing out of China rather than Japan or the United Kingdom.

The age rule

Used vehicles cannot be older than twelve years from year of manufacture. Importing in 2026, 2014 is the oldest model year, and Customs counts from manufacture rather than first registration.

Our used Toyota Camry saloons are sourced from 2015 and newer, which sits comfortably inside that with room before the limit catches up.

What buying to order actually gets you

The alternative is a tokunbo car at a lot in Lagos, and there is nothing wrong with that when the right unit happens to be sitting there.

The difference is what you can see.

At a lot, somebody else chose the car, carried the currency risk, paid the clearing and priced their margin in. What you cannot see is the history behind it, or what was done to make it presentable the week you came to view.

Sourced to order, you see the VIN, the mileage and the service record on each candidate before anybody commits money. You choose the year, the trim and the colour rather than taking what arrived.

It is slower. Six to eight weeks quay to quay on Lagos routes, plus one to two weeks of pre-shipment inspection and export work. And where a lot in Lagos genuinely beats importing on a particular car, we say so rather than talking you into a container.

What a Camry actually lands at

Nobody can quote you a Camry from a web page, and you should be suspicious of anyone who tries.

The naira figure is built from the unit price at source, freight and insurance to Lagos, duty computed on the Customs valuation rather than your invoice, the levy at the post-July rate, terminal and clearing charges, agency, and haulage to your state.

Then the exchange rate, which moves across the six to eight weeks between agreeing a price and clearing the goods. We quote in naira and say plainly that the figure is revisable if the rate moves, because a fixed naira price across a two-month import is a promise nobody can keep.

The rate board carries current figures, and the full duty breakdown is here.

If you need more space

The Camry is a saloon and a family often needs seven seats.

The Chinese Highlander is the natural step across. A 1,998 cc turbo four making 350 N.m, seven seats, and no green tax either. Same manufacturer, same reasoning, more room.

Tell us the year and the budget

How new it needs to be and roughly what you want to spend. We will find units that match, send you the VIN, mileage and record on each, and tell you what the vehicle costs delivered in naira with every line itemised, including whether any green tax applies.

Ask on WhatsApp.