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After eighteen years of shutting down its production plant in Port Harcourt and eventual exit from Nigeria, French tyre manufacturing giant, Michelin, is planning a ‘strategic’ comeback to the country.
This came to light during TechCabal interview with the Managing Director and Vice President of Sales for Michelin Sub-Saharan Africa, Amaury Vadon.
Michelin, which was the leading brand in the Nigerian tyre market in the 20th Century shocked the world when it shut down its production plant located in the oil-rich capital of Nigeria’s Rivers State in 2007.
The unfortunate shutdown was due to the very unfavourable business climate in the country at the time.
Though the company has not announced plans to reopen a factory, according to the news report, ‘it wants to rebuild its brand visibility, strengthen local presence, and position Nigeria as a key growth hub in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Michelin’s shutdown of production which marked the end of an era in Nigeria’s tyre manufacturing history, was followed by exit of its major competitor, Dunlop.
Factors accurately adduced for their ‘deaths’ in Nigeria include unfavourable business conditions, inconsistent government policies, and the influx of cheaper Asian imports.
TechCabal further noted that in 2008, 90% of tyres sold in Nigeria were imported, up from just 25% in 2005, a shift that reshaped the industry entirely.
“Today, Nigeria’s tyre market is worth an estimated $820 million, projected to hit $1.12 billion by 2030 at a 6.4% compound annual growth rate. Yet, despite growing demand, driven by the country’s 40 million-strong vehicle fleet and expanding road networks, the market remains dominated by low-cost brands. About 80% of Nigerian consumers buy budget tyres, mostly from Asia,” the medium wrote.
Michelin reportedly views this major challenge as an opportunity.
However, Michelin MD Amaury Vadon was quoted to have said, “It’s true that after the shutdown, many Nigerians thought Michelin had left the country. But Michelin never truly left. We may have stopped manufacturing, but we remained commercially active and are now more present than ever before.
“We are not importers or distributors. We have Michelin employees in Nigeria. That’s a key difference. We believe in having people who can explain our value, our innovation, and why Michelin products matter.”
Towards the strategic comeback, it’s revealed, Michelin has restructured its operations in Nigeria, transitioning from an export model to a fully owned local agency. The company now maintains an office on Victoria Island, Lagos, staffed by Michelin employees who oversee direct sales, marketing, and customer engagement.
The company’s renewed focus is on two major growth segments: passenger car tyres and beyond-road activities such as agriculture, construction, and port operations. The size of the passenger car tyre market in Nigeria for 2025 is estimated at over $0.82 billion for producer and importer revenues, with passenger car tyres being the dominant segment in the nation’s overall tyre market.
Popular passenger car tyres in Nigeria, such as 195/65R15 and 205/70R15, measure about 195–205 millimetres in width and fit 15-inch wheels.
Their proportions and related variants are valued for their strength and reliability on rough local roads.
Nigeria’s evolving automotive landscape, with a growing preference for larger, high-end vehicles, drives demand for premium tyres in the 18-inch-and-above category, and confidence already built by the current government’s bold policies of economic reforms, ongoing road construction and infrastructure projects which have created new opportunities in heavy-duty and off-road segments, must have inform the company’s decision to fully return to the country.
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