The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India, has warned that Africa’s growing dependence on imported used vehicles is fuelling air pollution and worsening mobility challenges across the continent.
Presenting a paper titled “Meeting the Challenges of Vehicular Pollution and Mobility in Africa” at a summit where a State of Africa’s Environment Report 2024 was held from September 16–17 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s Executive Director, said Africa now accounts for 40 percent of the global trade in used vehicles, with more than 85 percent of imports being second-hand, according to data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
She noted that the United States, Japan, and Germany remain the leading exporters of used cars to Africa, while China, India, and other Asian countries are increasingly capturing the market.
Since 2019, the Chinese government has allowed 27 cities and provinces to export second-hand cars, a move she described as a “new challenge” for African nations struggling to manage vehicular emissions.
Roychowdhury warned that the influx of ageing, high-emission vehicles, combined with car-centric infrastructure growth, is locking African cities into long-term pollution risks.
“Once engineering changes are made to prioritise cars, they permanently decide our travel choices, marginalising pedestrians and public transport users,” she said.
The report highlighted that para-transit services — such as motorbike taxis and shared minibuses — cater to 50 to 90 percent of daily commuters in several cities.
While these offer affordable transport, their dependence on fossil fuels contributes significantly to deteriorating air quality, she said.
CSE, which organised the summit, pointed to several positive policy developments:
- Ethiopia banned the import of all internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles from January 2024, allowing only electric vehicles (EVs) at reduced import duties while encouraging local manufacturing.
- Rwanda offers tax exemptions on EVs, spare parts, and charging equipment, alongside introducing e-motorcycle para-transit services.
- Ghana is piloting solar-powered EV taxis and revamping its tro-tro system through Mobility as a Service (MaaS) integration.
- Egypt provides 100 percent customs duty exemptions for EVs and has simplified licensing processes.
Meanwhile, Daniel Aghan, Secretary of the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA) Kenya, which co-organised the event, cautioned that Africa risks losing the fight against pollution if countries fail to act on the report’s recommendations.
“The best way forward is for governments to introduce measures that make the importation of electric vehicles cheaper,” Aghan said.
CSE urged African governments to tighten controls on used vehicle imports, incentivise clean energy transport, and integrate public transport with last-mile connectivity to prevent worsening pollution.
“Without urgent interventions,” Roychowdhury warned, “Africa risks locking itself into decades of high-pollution, car-dependent urban growth that threaten both public health and climate goals.”
