Uber ends 12-year operations in Nigeria amid global restructuring

By Adebola Muili

Global ride-hailing company, Uber, has ended its operations in Nigeria after 12 years, with its departure coming amid a major restructuring of its global business and a shift in investment priorities.

Uber’s operations in Nigeria officially wound down on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, following what the company described as a review of its business.

The company also withdrew from Uganda on the same day, but said the decision was limited to the two markets and did not represent a broader exit from Africa.

In a statement to Nigerian users, Uber said: “After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Nigeria, effective 2 September 2026.”

The company thanked Nigerian riders for their loyalty and patronage since it launched in Lagos in 2014, saying it had been “an absolute privilege” to be part of their daily lives by connecting them with independent transportation providers.

Uber also apologised for the disruption its departure could cause, while stating that its help centre would remain available until September 23 to address outstanding account-related matters.

The withdrawal came as Uber embarked on a major global restructuring that will see the company cut about 3,300 jobs, representing roughly 10 per cent of its workforce, as it seeks to reduce management layers and redirect resources towards its core businesses and future growth areas.

Uber Chief Executive Officer, Dara Khosrowshahi, said the company had accumulated additional organisational layers and fragmented responsibilities as it expanded, necessitating changes to make the business more efficient.

The restructuring is also expected to strengthen the company’s focus on growth, innovation and emerging areas of transportation, including autonomous vehicles and robotaxi partnerships.

However, Uber has not stated that the global restructuring was specifically responsible for its decision to leave Nigeria.

Rather, Lorraine Onduru, Uber’s Head of Communications for East and West Africa, said the decision followed a review of the company’s “evolving business priorities and investment focus across the continent.”

Onduru stressed that Uber remained committed to Sub-Saharan Africa, describing the region as one with “robust growth and long-term opportunity.”

The company said it was focusing its investments on markets where it believed it could “add the most value for drivers by providing earning opportunities at scale and enabling riders to go anywhere seamlessly.”

The explanation has raised questions about the commercial viability and strategic importance of Uber’s Nigerian operation, although the company has not publicly disclosed specific financial or operational figures behind the decision.

Uber’s departure also comes against the backdrop of longstanding challenges in Nigeria’s ride-hailing sector, including rising fuel prices, vehicle maintenance costs, inflation, currency pressures and disagreements between drivers and operators over fares and commissions.

Nigerian Uber drivers had raised concerns over earnings and operating conditions during protests and disputes in previous years, including 2017, 2023 and 2025.

The recurring disputes highlighted the difficulty of balancing affordable fares for passengers, sustainable earnings for drivers and profitability for ride-hailing companies.

Uber’s exit marks the end of a 12-year presence that helped reshape urban transportation in Nigeria.

When the company launched in Lagos in 2014, app-based ride-hailing was still relatively new in the country. Uber popularised the use of smartphones to request rides, track vehicles, receive fare estimates and access cashless payment options.

Its entry also helped accelerate competition in Nigeria’s digital transportation sector and contributed to the emergence of ride-hailing as an alternative source of income for drivers.

With Uber now out of the market, rival operators are expected to compete for its former riders and drivers, potentially reshaping the country’s ride-hailing landscape.

For passengers, the immediate challenge will be finding alternatives that can provide comparable levels of availability, affordability, safety and convenience.

For drivers, the exit could create both uncertainty and new opportunities as competing platforms seek to expand their networks.

Despite its departure from Nigeria and Uganda, Uber said it remained committed to other African markets, reinforcing the company’s position that the latest withdrawals represent a targeted adjustment of its business rather than a continent-wide retreat.

After 12 years, Uber has closed its Nigerian chapter, but the app-based transportation model it helped popularise is expected to remain an important part of the country’s evolving urban mobility landscape.