Uber announced on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, that it is shutting down its operations in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and the East African nation of Uganda with immediate effect.
The decision, which caught millions of users and drivers off guard, marks one of the most significant retreats by a global technology company from the African continent.
The San Francisco-based firm, which launched in Nigeria in 2014 and in Uganda in 2016, said the move followed "a thorough review" of its business priorities and investment focus across Africa.
In an official statement, Uber confirmed the closures effective September 2, 2026:
"After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026."
The company emphasised that the decision was "limited strictly to these two markets and does not impact our operations across the rest of the continent".
Uber insisted it remains "committed to Sub-Saharan Africa, where we continue to see strong growth and opportunity".
In a message to Nigerian users, Uber reflected on its 12-year journey: "Since we first launched in Lagos in 2014, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of your daily life connecting you with independent transportation providers".
The company apologised for the disruption, acknowledging: "We know this may cause disruption to your routine, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience".
The African exits came on the same day Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi announced the company would cut its global workforce by approximately 10 percent, about 3,300 corporate jobs worldwide.
The restructuring aims to flatten Uber's corporate structure, reduce management layers, and redirect resources toward areas with greater growth potential, including ride-sharing, delivery, and autonomous vehicles.
Uber plans to invest more than $10 billion in robotaxis in the coming years, backing companies developing autonomous-driving technology.
Nigeria offered enormous potential, a population exceeding 200 million and notoriously congested cities like Lagos seemed tailor-made for ride-hailing. Uber had even launched a boat service in Lagos in 2019 to help commuters bypass the city's infamous traffic congestion.
However, the market proved increasingly challenging. Rising fuel costs, inflation, currency volatility, and vehicle maintenance expenses made it difficult to balance affordable prices for riders with sustainable earnings for drivers. The removal of Nigeria's fuel subsidy after President Bola Tinubu's election in 2023 sent petrol prices skyrocketing, triggering a brutal cost-of-living crisis.
Uber drivers had long complained that fares on the app were too low given rising costs, and that commission charges were too high. Driver representatives had staged protests in recent years calling for higher fares, lower commission charges, and better protections.
Uber launched in Kampala in 2016 as part of its wider East African expansion. Its departure after a decade means a major change for commuters in the Ugandan capital, though analysts expect the void to be filled by other taxi apps such as Faras, Bolt, and SafeBoda.
The exits from Nigeria and Uganda continue a pattern of African withdrawal for Uber. The company formally exited Tanzania earlier in 2026 after nearly a decade, following years of regulatory disputes over fare controls and commission limits. It had previously pulled out of Ivory Coast.
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