Uber has made cash payments to select drivers on its platform following its exit from Nigeria and Uganda.
In its shutdown message on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Uber informed drivers that it would make a one-off final payment, but didn’t state how much or when they should expect the payouts.
One driver, *Lateef Oladapo, who spoke with Techpoint Africa, said he received a payout of ₦40,000 ($30.28), tagged ‘goodwill gesture’, adding that only drivers who were active on Uber for three to six months received the payment.
*Ephraim Balogun, another driver, confirmed the ₦40,000 payout, but said he didn’t receive it because he hasn’t been active on the platform. He said his colleagues were paid, but some received less than the stated amount because of the debt they owed the platform, which was duly deducted.
*Adigun Adesola, a middle-aged man who works across Bolt, Uber, and InDrive, claimed he saw Uber’s exit miles away and that it was only a matter of time because the requests on the platform were already drying up. According to him, there used to be an influx of requests on Uber, but everything changed after fuel prices shot up due to the removal of subsidy.
He also added that dwindling purchasing power has forced many people to stop patronising e-hailing platforms, and that everyone is feeling the impact of the country’s economic downturn.
“Uber won’t be missed by the drivers because we have other options; we would simply put in more effort on Bolt and InDrive,” Adesola said, while admitting that the government might miss Uber because of the taxes.
Balogun said Uber’s exit is very painful to him because he has been on the platform for almost a decade. He praised Uber’s tight security and fairness to both drivers and riders alike. However, he believes a combination of limited and declining demands and multiple taxation forced Uber out of Nigeria.
He, however, lamented that in the wake of Uber’s departure, the remaining alternatives might introduce more stringent measures that are unfriendly to drivers.
Editor’s note: *The real identities of the drivers were concealed so they could speak freely.
