See History Of Vehicle Registration In Nigeria Below…

Nigerian vehicle registration plates in current used were introduced in 1992 and revised in 2011. In size and shape, they are based on those of the United States. Nigeria and Liberia are the only two African countries that do not use the European license plate format. The international code for Nigeria is “WAN” (West Africa Nigeria).

The license plates are generally white and the number itself is imprinted in blue. In the upper left-hand corner they carry the Flag of Nigeria or the national coat of arms. The state name and slogan is displayed at the top centre of the plate, and the “Federal Republic of Nigeria” is written at the bottom.

The unique plate combination itself is in the format ABC-123DE. The first three letters indicate the Local Government Area in which the vehicle was registered, which are followed by three digits and two letters. The background consists of an outline of a map of Nigeria. Before 2011, the three letters indicating the Local Government Area were at the end, in the format AB123-CDE.

Other types of license plates are also in use. Commercial vehicles are written in red rather than blue, and government plates are in green. Diplomatic plates have a red background with white lettering, and consist of up to three numbers, followed by CD or CMD and another number. Instead of the name of the state, they read CORPS DIPLOMATIQUE. Cars of the consular corps have instead the letters CC or CORPS CONSULAIRE.