Uber’s announcement to exit Nigeria has introduced significant uncertainty into an ongoing dispute involving e-hailing drivers, passengers, and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) regarding airport pickup regulations. This conflict has been acknowledged by FAAN in two separate statements, yet complaints from drivers in Abuja and passengers in Lagos continue to arise.
On Wednesday, Uber stated that it would discontinue its operations in Nigeria effective September 2, 2026, ending a 12-year presence that began in Lagos in 2014. ‘After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria,’ the company announced.
Uganda also saw a similar shutdown on the same day; however, Uber clarified that this decision was ‘limited strictly to these two markets.’ This exit is part of a broader global restructuring that includes a 10 percent reduction in workforce.
In Abuja, Shifaw Rahman, who operates a car hire service called ‘Ride With Shiffy,’ expressed concern that Uber’s departure further exacerbates the losses drivers have already endured due to FAAN’s restrictions on e-hailing services at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
‘Uber leaving Nigeria is honestly a big loss, particularly for drivers. It connected me with more reliable clients, including international passengers. Their customer service was prompt and professional, and having a physical office for issue resolutions made the platform feel seamless and dependable,’ Rahman said.
Rahman noted that FAAN had barred Bolt and other e-hailing operators from the airport for several weeks before allowing Bolt to resume operations ‘just a few days ago,’ but she described the current arrangements as still unsettled.
Additionally, FAAN continues to charge a ?2,000 fee for airport pickups, even when the passenger is someone known personally rather than through an app booking.
FAAN’s own statements, released in August, confirm parts of this timeline while disputing others. In a release dated August 20, the Authority stated that its position ‘is not, and has never been, directed at limiting passengers’ access to transportation options.’
Instead, it attributed these restrictions to concerns over ‘passenger solicitation and touting,’ as well as the need for ‘operational visibility’ over vehicles and drivers at the airport. The release clarified that ACHRAMS, FAAN’s car-hire management platform, ‘is not an e-hailing application and is not intended to compete with’ Uber, Bolt, or similar services.
A follow-up release dated August 27 and signed by Henry Agbebire, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, directly apologized to affected passengers.
‘We sincerely apologise for the difficulties this caused our passengers,’ the statement read, adding that FAAN and Bolt had ‘reached an agreeable operational framework’ allowing Bolt to commence its services at FAAN-managed airports immediately.
FAAN also stated that it remained ‘engaged with other e-hailing operators’ to address outstanding issues and denied any intention to create a monopoly in airport transportation.
The dispute has extended beyond Abuja. Respondents to FAAN’s Instagram statement have raised similar concerns about fares at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
A commenter with the handle @tywo_omole noted that FAAN’s approved airport transport system charges as much as ?30,000 for a trip from the airport to Ikeja, compared to the ?5,000 to ?8,000 previously charged by e-hailing platforms.
Another commenter, @sisibiola, stated that FAAN-affiliated cab drivers were charging ?12,000 for a trip to GRA Ikeja, which typically takes under 10 minutes, citing airport parking fees as the reason.
Additionally, @ktrineempire asked FAAN to disclose the terms of its agreement with Bolt after being quoted ?30,000 for a ride within Ikeja.
In response to these fare complaints, FAAN’s statement released on August 27 clarified that these rates were ‘not newly imposed by FAAN or created by ACHRAMS.’
The authority explained that airport taxi fares have long existed independently of the application and that ACHRAMS merely made these pre-existing rates more visible to passengers.
This visibility, they noted, understandably raised concerns when compared to the lower fares that passengers had become accustomed to with e-hailing platforms.
A separate, unverified claim posted on the same FAAN Instagram thread by a commenter using the handle @folaitanjimi_, who described herself as a driver displaced from Bolt’s airport shuttle work, alleged that drivers caught picking up Bolt passengers at the airport were fined and had their tires deflated. This claim has not been independently verified, and FAAN has not addressed it directly in its public statements.
Bashir Ahmad, a former presidential aide on new media under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, suggested on X that driver behavior may have contributed to Bolt’s decision to exit the market.
He pointed out that the phrase ‘please cancel the trip so we can go offline’ has become familiar to many riders, indicating a pattern in which drivers exploit Uber’s platform to connect with customers before taking them off the app to avoid commission fees.
Ahmad warned that this ‘short-term greed’ could ultimately lead to the exit of Bolt, inDrive, and other ride-hailing platforms from the country, as the burden of attracting and connecting drivers with passengers falls primarily on the platforms themselves.
FAAN has not issued any additional statements specifically addressing Uber’s exit, and their most recent public release predates this announcement by about a week.