Lagos/Abuja — The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has firmly rejected suggestions that its recent disputes with e-hailing operators contributed to Uber’s decision to shut down ride-hailing operations in the country, insisting the company’s exit stemmed from its own commercial and strategic calculations.
Uber discontinued services in Nigeria and Uganda effective September 2, 2026, ending a 12-year presence that began with its Lagos launch in 2014.
In a statement, the company said the move followed “a thorough review of its evolving business priorities and investment focus across Africa.” It emphasised that the decision was limited to the two markets, did not affect operations elsewhere on the continent, and was “not related to the recent FAAN directive concerning e-hailing operations at Nigerian airports.”
Uber also announced broader global restructuring that included cutting about 3,300 jobs, roughly 10 percent of its workforce. The company said its immediate priority was supporting affected drivers, riders, and local team members through the transition, with rider support remaining available for 21 days after the wind-down.
Public speculation linked the exit to tensions at Nigerian airports. In recent weeks, FAAN sought a new operational framework for e-hailing platforms such as Uber and Bolt, citing passenger safety, security, accountability, operational visibility, and orderly pick-up arrangements.
Reports of restrictions or difficulties accessing app-based rides at terminals, particularly Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, led to complaints of higher fares charged by traditional airport car-hire operators and claims that e-hailing services had been effectively sidelined.
FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku addressed the issue on September 4, stating that the authority had “no hand” in Uber’s departure. “I can’t speak to Uber’s exit from Nigeria. I am sure they have their own economic and regulatory decisions as to why they chose to exit,” she said. Kuku noted that FAAN’s primary responsibility is passenger safety and a seamless travel experience.
The agency had received complaints, especially during the December holiday period, about intimidation, excessive charges, and passengers being taken to wrong destinations by some e-hailing and car-hire operators.
She described disagreements over liability: while FAAN agreed to dedicated pick-up zones, it wanted platforms to take responsibility for drivers’ conduct. The companies, she said, maintained that drivers were independent contractors and preferred passengers rely on in-app safety features.
Kuku also alleged that some Uber and Bolt drivers would leave their vehicles and join traditional car-hire ranks to charge higher fares. “The airport is just a small jurisdiction of the area that they cover within Nigeria,” she added, noting Uber had been considering an exit for some time.
FAAN Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection Henry Agbebire similarly pushed back, pointing to Uber’s own clarification. “FAAN did not drive Uber out of Nigeria. Uber says so,” he said, arguing that the company’s challenges in Nigeria predated the airport issues and involved broader questions of regulation, driver welfare, and operational control. He suggested the more relevant question was why Uber determined Nigeria no longer fitted its investment priorities.
Uber’s departure leaves Nigeria’s competitive e-hailing market—estimated by some analysts in the hundreds of millions of dollars—to remaining players such as Bolt and local operators. The company had faced industry-wide pressures including rising fuel costs after subsidy removal, inflation, currency volatility, intense competition, and driver concerns over earnings and conditions.
It has previously exited other African markets, including Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania, while retaining operations in markets such as South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Egypt.
FAAN has maintained that its measures were never a blanket ban and that it continues engagement with remaining e-hailing operators to establish a workable framework balancing passenger convenience with airport safety and order requirements. Aviation authorities have also intervened at times to address passenger complaints about elevated airport taxi fares during the transition period.
As Uber winds down, its help centre remains available for outstanding issues for a limited period. The episode underscores ongoing tensions between global tech platforms, local regulators, and traditional transport operators in one of Africa’s largest markets, even as both the company and FAAN reject any causal link between the airport disputes and the exit decision.
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