Uber abruptly exits Nigerian and Ugandan markets, leaving riders and drivers stranded

On September 2 Uber notified its Nigerian customers and drivers in both Nigeria and Uganda that the platform would be discontinued that same day, causing the app to go offline while some journeys were still active. The company emphasized that the decision applied only to these two countries and would not impact its operations elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Uber expressed gratitude for serving Kampala since 2016 and pledged to keep in-app support available for 21 days to resolve pending issues.

Local riders lamented the loss of what they considered a safer transport option. Regional rivals Faras, Bolt and SafeBoda are now positioned to capture the displaced user base. This exit is part of a broader corporate restructuring that involves cutting more than 3,000 jobs and refocusing investment on areas such as autonomous vehicles.