Bolt and inDrive intensify efforts to attract riders and drivers as Uber’s exit creates fresh opportunities in Nigeria’s transport market.
About 24 hours after Uber exited Nigeria’s ride-hailing market, rivals Bolt and inDrive have moved to strengthen their positions and capture a larger share of the market.
Uber ended its operations in Nigeria on September 2, after about 12 years in the country, citing “evolving business priorities and investment focus across the continent”.
The exit has opened up opportunities for competing ride-hailing platforms in a market with more than 200 million potential customers.
InDrive told TheCable that Nigeria remains a key market for the company in Africa, noting that its active user base has continued to grow year-on-year.
The company said it has made significant investments in Nigeria and remains committed to further investments in service quality, safety, technology and local communities.
It added that its commitment extends beyond ride-hailing, with a broader local offering that includes its Economy and Courier services.
“Nigeria remains a key market for us in Africa, and our active user base has grown consistently year-on-year,” the company said.
Bolt also reaffirmed its commitment to Nigeria, describing the country as an important market for its operations.
The company said it would continue to provide mobility solutions for riders, create earning opportunities for drivers and support the development of Nigeria’s mobility ecosystem.
Teddy Appa-Dankyi, Senior General Manager, Bolt West Africa, said the company had built a strong community of riders and driver-partners over the years.
“We have built a strong community of riders and driver partners over the years, and our focus is on continuing to serve them while strengthening our operations and creating more opportunities across the market,” he said.
InDrive described Uber’s departure as a surprise, acknowledging the company as a “strong and significant competitor”.
“Uber has been a strong and significant competitor, and we have always welcomed competition because it drives us to continuously improve our products and services for the benefit of our users,” inDrive said.
The company also said it was prepared to welcome Uber drivers and mobility investors affected by the exit.
“We also welcome drivers and mobility investors who may be affected by Uber’s exit to join the inDrive platform and continue serving passengers across Nigeria,” it said.
InDrive said it was developing solutions for mobility investors and fleet owners to help them put their vehicles to productive use while creating additional earning opportunities through its platform.
“Our goal is to provide drivers with flexible earning opportunities while ensuring passengers continue to have access to affordable, reliable and increasingly diverse mobility services,” the company added.
Bolt’s Appa-Dankyi acknowledged that Uber’s departure could create some uncertainty in the industry but said the company remained focused on the long term.
“However, our focus remains firmly on the long term. We will continue working closely with our drivers, riders, regulators and other partners to contribute to a reliable, accessible and sustainable mobility ecosystem in Nigeria,” he said.
While Uber used algorithms to determine trip fares, inDrive said its business model was designed differently, allowing riders and drivers to negotiate fares.
The company said the model has helped it operate effectively in emerging markets where affordability remains an important consideration for consumers.
According to inDrive, it charges a service fee of about 10 per cent, which it described as one of the lowest in the market.
“This model gives both parties greater control and enables them to agree on a price that works for them. Unlike traditional ride-hailing platforms, we do not use algorithms to set ride prices,” the company said.
Meanwhile, the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON-NG) has called for immediate social dialogue to address the impact of Uber’s exit on drivers and riders.
Ayoade Ibrahim, General Secretary of the union, said discussions should cover displaced Uber drivers and riders operating across multiple platforms.
He also called for a national floor on fares, commissions and deactivation procedures, in line with International Labour Organisation Convention 193.
Ibrahim said technology should serve riders and drivers rather than leave them vulnerable to decisions by multinational technology companies that could withdraw from a market after a review by their headquarters.
He described Uber’s departure as neither a cause for celebration nor nostalgia for drivers, arguing that the company had left “on its own timetable”.
According to him, multinational platforms have demonstrated that they can exit markets when their financial or strategic priorities change.
Ibrahim said Convention 193 would only become effective in Nigeria if the Federal Government ratified and domesticated it.
He consequently urged the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Federal Ministry of Transportation and airport authorities to incorporate the convention into their licensing frameworks.
He also called on riders to organise across ride-hailing applications and traditional transport stages to ensure that labour standards are enforced by workers rather than left unimplemented.
“Uber leaving Nigeria after a decade is the case study. Convention No. 193 is the rulebook that should have been in force before the exit, and must now shape whoever takes the work Uber left behind,” Ibrahim said.
He argued that Uber was able to leave because regulations governing its operations in Nigeria were weaker than the market it helped create.
“For twelve years the platform organised work, set prices, took commission and decided who stayed online. When global investment priorities shifted toward robotaxis and a slimmer map of countries, it wound down the operation,” he said.
Ibrahim said Convention 193 was introduced to address a model in which labour could be treated as something a company could simply switch off when it exited a market.
He added that while the convention could not prevent a company from leaving, it would ensure that “while the company is present, and in the market it leaves behind, workers are not disposable code”.
