Why are e-hailing companies sharing your data with the government?

On today's episode of the Techpoint Africa Podcast, our reporters discuss three stories buzzing in the African tech ecosystem.

First, we look at Nigerian startup, Thepeer and its recent shut down announcement. Earlier this week, the three-year old company revealed that it would be closing shop, citing regulatory compliance issues.

The startup used a wallet-based system to ensure free-flow of money between different wallets. We look at why this couldn't take off in the light of expected global growth of use of digital wallets.

Then, we turn to Sim Shagaya's foray into VC.

On April 2, 2024, Sim Shagaya, founder and CEO of uLesson, announced plans to launch "The Honey Badger Fund" (HBF), a fund for African entrepreneurs in building technology-powered projects.

While there's no concrete word on what the vision for the fund is currently, our Senior Reporter, Chimgozirim Nwokoma will be talking to Shagaya on an Equity Merchant episode going live next week so you can watch out for it.

Meanwhile, he did give some educated guesses on what it could be and possible implications for founders who get funded.

Last but not least, we discuss Edo State introducing an API integration for Bolt, Uber, and other e-hailing operators. The government's motive, it says, is to ensure the safety of its citizens. Integrating this API would mean granting access to Uber, Bolt, and other ride-hailing operators' database.

This is not the first time we are seeing a move like this in Nigeria. The Lagos State government recently pushed a similar move which has faced pushback from Uber due to supposed wilful impounding of vehicles owned  by the ride-hailing operator's drivers.

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Uber has also faced similar requests in other jurisdictions.

You can catch up on the conversation on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere you get your podcasts. You can also send your questions and observations to podcast@techpoint.africa or share your thoughts using the hashtag #TechpointAfricaPodcast.