…as EQUIP AUTO targets West African market

Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire are strengthening regional automotive trade and investment as the maiden edition of EQUIP AUTO Côte d’Ivoire prepares to bring together more than 150 exhibitors and brands from across the global automotive value chain in Abidjan later this year.

The exhibition, scheduled for November 26 to 28, 2026, at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre, is expected to serve as a platform for expanding cross-border partnerships, promoting innovation and enhancing business opportunities between Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and other West African countries.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, President of Interlinks Auto and MIWA AFRICA SARL, Luc Azilinon, said the event would host over 10,000 industry professionals, visitors and mobility stakeholders through exhibitions, thematic workshops, business meetings, live demonstrations and vehicle testing.

The event, organised through a collaboration between EQUIP AUTO Paris and MIWA AFRICA SARL, marks the renowned automotive exhibition’s expansion into sub-Saharan Africa. Promosalons Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon is coordinating participation from Nigeria and Cameroon.

Azilinon said the exhibition would cover passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, industrial vehicles, transport, aftermarket services, agriculture and public works, reflecting the diverse needs of the West African mobility market. Exhibitors are expected from Germany, France, Türkiye, Italy, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, India, China, South Korea and Japan.

He noted that the organisers aim to position EQUIP AUTO Côte d’Ivoire as the leading automotive business platform in West Africa by combining innovation, technology and commercial opportunities while establishing the region as a strategic mobility hub for the continent.

According to him, the exhibition will provide manufacturers, distributors, repairers, fleet operators and public sector stakeholders with access to new technologies and market opportunities, while stimulating regional trade, strengthening cross-border partnerships and supporting the modernisation of automotive infrastructure and distribution networks across West Africa.

Azilinon explained that Côte d’Ivoire was selected to host the inaugural edition because of its political stability, improving infrastructure, favourable investment climate and strategic location within ECOWAS. He added that the country’s Port of Abidjan remains one of West Africa’s leading maritime gateways, while its economy recorded 6.5 per cent growth in 2024, driven by agriculture, infrastructure, agribusiness and services.

The press conference was attended by representatives of the Ivorian Embassy in Nigeria, including Dr. Kaslime Kouassi, who represented Côte d’Ivoire’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Kalilou Traoré.