Mixed reactions still trailing exit of Uber
Lagos, Sept. 2026 (TBL Africa) The exit of Uber, a global technology platform that connects riders with drivers through a mobile application for on-demand transport and delivery services, has continued to attract reactions from Nigerians.
Some residents of Lagos on Sunday expressed divergent views on the exit of the e-hailing giant from Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.
The residents expressed their views in interviews.
On Sept. 2, Uber announced closure of operations in Nigeria and Uganda with immediate effect.
The ride hailing company said it took the “difficult decision” after a thorough strategic review of its business priorities and investment focus across Africa.
Uber began operating in Nigeria in 2014 and in Uganda, two years later.
A journalist, Mrs Florence Okonkwo, who resides at No. 2, Femi Killa St., Ago Palace Way , Okota, said that Uber’s exit from Nigeria would complicate transport challenges for commuters.
She added that it would put additional pressure on other app-based transport operators.
Okonkwo said that Uber’s exit would leave many commuters, who depended on the platform, to be searching for alternative means of transport, thereby increasing pressure on the other operators.
According to her, drivers affected by the exit will also face difficulties, particularly amid the country’s unemployment situation and concerns over low earnings in the app-based transport sector.
“Although Uber has announced financial support for affected drivers, the assistance might not provide sustainable livelihoods for them.
“If there is a way to accommodate them back into the transport system, it will be a good thing,” she said.
She urged the government to explore ways of helping the drivers, including encouraging other transport companies to absorb them.
A banker, Ms Edith Nwafor, a resident of B1 Close, 22 Road, Festac Town, said that the exit was not good news for Nigeria.
“There is the need for a healthy competition among taxis. Having different options allows us, as customers, to compare prices and decide which service works best for us.
“I remember a time when I wanted to go to Ikoyi from Festac. I checked some e-hailing app operators’ fares. When I checked Uber’s, surprisingly, its fare was lower.
“That is why, for me, Uber leaving this country is not good news for commuters. Competition is important, especially with the current economic situation,” she said.
Mrs Funke Ajijala, a business woman at Balogun Market, said Uber’s exit from Nigeria would create a vacuum in the e-hailing transport sector, with commuters likely to suffer the negative impact.
She said that Uber had operated in Nigeria for a long time and had become a preferred option for many commuters, providing them with additional choices.
“Though we have other e-hailing transport companies, the place of Uber has been different,” she said.
According to her, the vacuum created by Uber’s exit will be difficult for other operators to fill at the moment, given the company’s long presence in the country.
Ajijala said that Uber introduced an innovative approach to transport in Nigeria, stressing that its absence would felt.
However, a journalist with an online medium, Mr Ola Akanni, noted that Uber was not the only e-hailing operator in Nigeria and would not be missed much.
According to him, Uber’s exit from Nigeria will not necessarily put its drivers out of employment, as they could switch to other e-hailing platforms.
“We have InDrive, LagRide and other e-hailing operators; so, I do not think Uber’s exit will put anybody out of job,” he said.
