Uber’s Nigeria Exit Follows Market Share Decline, Expert Says

Technology expert and software solutions architect, Femi Bejide, has attributed Uber’s decision to withdraw from Nigeria partly to growing competition from rival ride-hailing platforms Bolt and inDrive. Bejide said Uber had suffered a significant decline in market share, dropping to third place in the Nigerian ride-hailing industry, which he linked to the company’s failure to adapt its business model quickly enough to changing market conditions. In a LinkedIn post, he argued that competitors had responded more effectively to shifts in consumer and driver preferences, while Uber’s wider global restructuring also contributed to the decision. Bejide added that as Uber reduced operations globally, its Nigerian business became increasingly exposed to the company’s broader strategic review. He said his team had been monitoring industry data and planned to publish a detailed report on developments in Nigeria’s ride-hailing sector.

Bejide’s comments came after Uber announced that it would end its operations in Nigeria and Uganda effective September 2, 2026, bringing its 12-year presence in Nigeria to an end. The company said the decision followed a review of its evolving business priorities and investment focus across Africa, without specifically identifying competition from Bolt or inDrive as the reason for its departure. Uber entered the Nigerian market through Lagos in 2014 and expanded to Abuja in 2016, while continuing operations in other African markets such as Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. The Nigerian ride-hailing sector has also faced wider pressures, including rising operating costs and economic challenges. Bejide described Nigeria as a relatively small component of Uber’s global business, noting that the company’s worldwide revenue was far larger than what it generated from the Nigerian market.

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