Uber has stopped operating in Nigeria and Uganda, ending a run that lasted more than a decade in both countries. The Uber exit from Nigeria, which took effect on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, brings to a close twelve years of service that began in Lagos in 2014.
In Uganda, the shutdown ends ten years of business that started in Kampala in 2016. Uber confirmed both closures in a statement, saying the decision followed a thorough review of its business priorities and investment focus across the continent.
The company was careful to separate the Uber exit from Nigeria from a wider African retreat. It said the move is limited strictly to these two markets. Uber’s operations in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa are unaffected, and the company says it plans to keep investing there.
Still, the timing raises questions. Uber left Tanzania in February this year after years of friction with transport regulators there. It quit Côte d’Ivoire in September 2025 after six years of operational disputes. Nigeria and Uganda now bring the tally of African exits to five in under two years.
Uber has denied that its Nigerian departure is linked to a recent directive from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on e-hailing pickups at the country’s airports. A company spokesperson said plainly that the two issues were unrelated.
The Uber exit from Nigeria lands at a difficult moment for foreign businesses in the country. Since President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy and floated the naira in mid-2023, the currency has lost roughly seventy per cent of its value against the dollar. That has made it harder for companies with dollar obligations to stay profitable.
A string of multinationals have already walked away. Unilever stopped making its home care products locally. GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi shut down their Nigerian manufacturing lines. Procter & Gamble moved to an import only model. Jumia Food and Bolt Food closed their delivery operations entirely. Microsoft shut its Africa Development Centre in Lagos in 2024.
Against that backdrop, the Uber exit from Nigeria reads less like an isolated decision. It looks more like part of a pattern that has worried economists watching the country’s business climate.
For drivers, the departure lands hardest. Many built their income entirely around the platform. One driver, who has worked with Uber for close to a decade, said he bought his car specifically to use on the app. He now fears for his earnings. Another driver told reporters the exit would make an already tough job tougher.
Nigeria’s e-hailing drivers’ union, the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria, did not mourn the Uber exit from Nigeria. It accused Uber of running an exploitative model and warned rival platforms such as Bolt and inDrive that drivers would organise against similar practices. The union urged its members to stay united rather than panic.
Riders face a narrower set of choices too. The Uber exit from Nigeria has pushed many commuters straight into Bolt’s arms, since the platform currently dominates the country’s ride-hailing market. inDrive, which lets passengers negotiate fares directly with drivers, is also gaining ground. Smaller local operators, including LagRide and Rida, may pick up some of Uber’s former customer base, though none currently match Uber’s scale.
In Uganda, the picture is similar. SafeBoda’s car-hailing arm, along with Faras and Yango, are now competing for the riders Uber leaves behind. Uber gave no country specific reason for the Ugandan exit beyond citing the same broader business review.
The Uber exit from Nigeria and Uganda also coincides with sweeping job cuts at the company’s global headquarters. Chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi announced plans to cut about 3,300 positions worldwide, roughly a tenth of Uber’s total workforce. The restructuring is meant to flatten management layers.
Uber has promised some support during the transition, even as the Uber exit from Nigeria takes full effect. Active drivers will receive what the company called a token of appreciation, and rider support channels will stay open for twenty one days after the shutdown. Nigeria’s help centre will remain reachable until 23 September.
What happens next for Nigeria’s ride-hailing sector remains unclear. Bolt and inDrive are the obvious short term beneficiaries. The deeper concern is what the Uber exit from Nigeria signals to foreign investors still weighing up the country’s economics. For now, thousands of drivers and everyday commuters are left to adjust to a market with one fewer option.
