Uber Nigeria exit leaves drivers scrambling for work

Uber's shutdown in Nigeria has left thousands of drivers looking for other sources of income after the ride-hailing company ended operations in the country without notice on Wednesday.

Drivers said the announcement caught them off guard. “It was really shocking to me, and I believe it was also shocking to most of their drivers, because we were not informed through the app or any means,” Kehinde Abdulraheem, 31, told AFP in Abuja on Thursday.

Uber said it was shutting down its business in Nigeria and Uganda immediately, ending operations in both countries from September 2, 2026. The US-based company said it made the decision after reviewing its business and did not give further details. It said its help centre would remain available through September 23 to resolve remaining disputes.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a message to employees that the company was laying off around 10 percent of its staff as part of “significant organizational changes”.

Transport analyst John Onyeukwu told AFP that Nigeria's economic crisis may have driven Uber out of Africa's most populous country. “If the business is doing well, it's most unlikely that it will leave the environment, even if it's reducing staff,” he said. “It didn't just reduce operations in Nigeria, it shut down.”

Nigerians have been living through a cost-of-living crisis during economic changes introduced by President Bola Tinubu. The removal of a fuel subsidy pushed up fuel and goods prices, adding pressure on motorists.

Uber entered Nigeria in 2014, first in Lagos, before expanding across the country. In 2023, Uber Nigeria country manager Tope Akinwunmi said the company's operations had contributed billions of naira, or millions of dollars, to the economy, with drivers collectively earning about 6.1 billion naira annually.

Uber drivers have long complained that fares on the app were too low. Abdulraheem said many drivers would not be left completely stranded because they had already signed up with rival services such as Bolt and inDrive.