Dangote Sinotruk Targets HOWO CNG Fleet Milestone in Nigeria as Used HOWO Demand Climbs
UsedHowoTrucks.com — Monday, March 30, 2026
Table of Contents
Overview
Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and home to the continent's biggest Sinotruk HOWO assembly operation. Mid-2026 marks the target date set by Dangote Cement Plc for its fleet to run predominantly on compressed natural gas (CNG), with the bulk of that fleet made up of HOWO trucks assembled at the Dangote Sinotruk West Africa Limited (DSWAL) plant in Ikeja, Lagos. Simultaneously, a March 2026 industry analysis confirmed that demand for used HOWO dump trucks and tractor heads from Nigeria is growing, driven by infrastructure spending, mining activity, and the naira cost advantage of Chinese-sourced equipment.
The Dangote Sinotruk plant in Lagos
DSWAL is a joint venture between Dangote Industries Limited (60% stake) and Sinotruk of China (30%, with 5% held by Andas). Total investment stands at $100 million. The plant, located on Oba Akran Avenue in Ikeja, was converted from a former textile mill. It was commissioned by Nigeria's Senate President Godswill Akpabio in June 2024. Installed capacity is 15 to 16 trucks per shift, approximately 10,000 units annually on a completely knocked-down (CKD) basis. The plant assembles heavy-duty, medium, and light trucks across the HOWO product range, with plans to add semi-trailer, tanker, and tipper body fabrication. Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu placed an order for 100 additional HOWO compactor trucks for the Lagos Waste Management Authority at the June 2024 commissioning, adding to the 102 units the state had already purchased in 2022. CEO Hikmat Thapa said local content is to rise from 40% to 60% once Ajaokuta Steel resumes production.
The CNG HOWO fleet push
Dangote Cement Group Managing Director Arvind Pathak stated in October 2024 that the company aims to operate a fleet predominantly powered by CNG by mid-2026. Dangote has invested over $280 million in CNG technology and fuelling infrastructure to support this transition. The first batch of 1,500 mono-fuel CNG trucks had already arrived in Nigeria as of that date, with a further 1,600 units expected before year-end 2024, bringing the total to 3,100 CNG trucks. By May 2025, Dangote had signed agreements to convert a further 6,000 diesel trucks to CNG, in addition to the initial 4,000, making the group Nigeria's largest CNG fleet operator. Dangote President Aliko Dangote confirmed the company is deploying 4,000 CNG-powered trucks that will create at least 24,000 direct and indirect jobs across drivers, mechanics, fleet managers, and support staff. The CNG initiative is backed by Nigeria's Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas under President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
Used HOWO demand in Nigeria
An analytical report published March 1, 2026 by Snail Truck via EIN Presswire noted that Nigeria remains one of the highest-volume markets for used HOWO dump trucks in Africa, alongside Tanzania. Nigerian contractors and logistics operators favour HOWO models — particularly the HOWO 7 6x4 and HOWO A7 — for their availability of spare parts, familiarity among local mechanics, and lower total cost of ownership compared to European alternatives. Mining and infrastructure projects are the dominant application. The report noted that professionally remanufactured used HOWO units can cost 30% to 50% of the price of new trucks, and that 2025 saw a robust recovery in demand for quality used Chinese heavy-duty equipment, driven partly by infrastructure investment under federal and state government programmes.
Market context
Sinotruk has held more than 60% of the African heavy-duty truck market and has maintained a representative office in Nigeria for decades. The Dangote joint venture, established in 2017, gave Sinotruk its largest African assembly presence and a direct link to Nigeria's logistics sector. DSWAL targets ECOWAS regional exports in addition to the domestic Nigerian market. Nigeria bans the import of vehicles older than 15 years, which creates sustained demand for used HOWO units manufactured from 2010 onwards. The used HOWO market in Nigeria is supplied primarily from Japanese and US ports, with Apapa port in Lagos handling the majority of clearances. Customs agents at Apapa noted in a March 2026 Punch newspaper investigation that HOWO trucks pay the same flat duty rate as other brands of the same model year, but their lower overseas purchase price produces a lower total landed cost — making them the most cost-efficient heavy-duty option for Nigerian fleet operators.
Sources
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