From Left: Akin Akinbola, MD/CEO, Promosalons Nigeria, Kaslime Kouassi, Director of Tourism who represented the Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria His Excellency Ambassador Kalilou TRAORE and Luc AZILINON, President of Interlinks Auto and MIWA Africa.
The organisers of the much expected maiden edition of EQUIP AUTO Côte d’Ivoire have unveiled plans for what analysts describe would be one of West Africa’s largest automotive industry gatherings in recent times.
According to the organisers, the exhibition will serve as a catalyst for regional trade, investment and cross-border partnerships across the mobility ecosystem.
The three-day event is scheduled to hold from 26 to 28 November 2026 at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre in Côte d’Ivoire, and it is expected to attract more than 150 exhibitors and international brands representing the entire automotive value chain, alongside about 10,000 industry professionals, visitors and members of the public.
Indeed, the conference is expected to be a leading regional platform, bringing together all players across the automotive and mobility value chain, covering all mobility markets, from passenger and light commercial vehicles to heavy goods vehicles, transport and logistics, as well as agricultural machinery, industrial vehicles and infrastructure related to public works.
At a press conference held on Wednesday at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the President of Interlinks Auto and MIWA AFRICA SARL, Luc Azilinon, said the exhibition would mark a significant milestone in expanding the globally recognised EQUIP AUTO brand into sub-Saharan Africa.
The interactive session with the media was facilitated by Promosalons Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon, where its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Akin Akinbola, in his capacity as the representative of the organisers of EQUIP AUTO Côte d’Ivoire for Nigeria and Cameroon, expressed delight with the quality of the discussions at the event.
The press conference was also attended by representative of the Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire in Nigeria. The Ivorian Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Ambassador Kalilou Traoré, who was represented by Dr Kaslime Kouassi, Embassy’s Director of Tourism.
Traoré reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening economic and commercial relations with Nigeria and other countries in the region through initiatives such as EQUIP AUTO Côte d’Ivoire.
He described Nigeria as a major force in Africa’s automotive industry and urged Nigerian manufacturers and spare parts dealers to leverage the partnership to deepen regional industrial cooperation stressing that closer collaboration between the two countries would strengthen the African automotive market, promote cross-border investment and create new opportunities for businesses across the continent.
Specifically, Azilinon, who also observed Nigeria’s leading role in the sector noted that the exhibition, a collaboration between EQUIP AUTO Paris and MIWA AFRICA SARL, is a practical demonstration of the organisers’ commitment to creating a strategic platform dedicated to the development of the automotive and mobility industries across West Africa.
He said Nigeria, which accounts for about half of the West African automotive market, would play a strategic role in bridging the Anglophone and Francophone markets and driving regional value chain development.
He submitted that Africa can no longer afford to maintain fragmented automotive markets if it hopes to attract global investment and strengthen local manufacturing.
“Our ambition is to connect the global automotive industry with Africa’s growing markets. Nigeria is not coming as a visitor but as a key stakeholder because of its leadership in the region’s automotive industry,” Azilinon said.
READ ALSO:Equip Auto SAS France Expands Into SSA With Launch Of Equip Auto Côte d;Ivoire Expo
He explained that beyond showcasing vehicles and spare parts, the exhibition would provide a platform for policy dialogue on infrastructure, electric mobility, automotive digitalisation, counterfeit parts, skills development and regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Azilinon further said the exhibition would also facilitate business-to-business engagements between African companies and international manufacturers, providing local businesses with greater access to genuine OEM components, modern repair technologies and global supply chains.
He added that plans were underway to establish a Pan-African automotive training academy, with Nigeria among the countries expected to host training centres to improve the skills of spare parts dealers, technicians and workshop operators.
He noted that strengthening technical capacity across the region would attract investment, modernise repair networks and improve service delivery throughout the automotive value chain.
He called for stronger collaboration between governments and vehicle manufacturers to combat the influx of counterfeit spare parts, arguing that wider availability of genuine products at competitive prices would protect consumers and improve vehicle safety.
According to him, part of the activities at the conference would be the combination of exhibitions with thematic workshops, conferences, business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) meetings, product demonstrations and live vehicle testing, offering participants an opportunity to explore emerging technologies and build commercial relationships.
He said the exhibition had been designed to reflect the realities of the West African market by covering virtually every segment of the automotive industry, including passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, heavy-duty and industrial vehicles, transport services, aftermarket solutions, agriculture, public works and related infrastructure.
Consequently, he further said that the exhibitors are expected from several countries, including Germany, France, Türkiye, Italy, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, India, China, South Korea and Japan, making the event one of the most internationally represented automotive gatherings in the region.
According to him, the organisers are determined to position EQUIP AUTO Côte d’Ivoire as the leading automotive business platform in West Africa by creating an environment that combines innovation, investment and business development.
“With an innovative B2B2C format, EQUIP AUTO Côte d’Ivoire aims to become the structuring meeting point for mobility in West Africa. The launch of EQUIP AUTO Côte d’Ivoire marks a major milestone in the international development of the brand,” Azilinon said.
More than 20 automotive experts from across the world are expected to participate in panel discussions alongside African policymakers and industry leaders to examine strategies for expanding the continent’s automotive ecosystem.
