Uber to Exit Nigeria and Uganda After 12 Years of Operations
Uber is ceasing operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026, as part of a strategic reallocation of investments across Africa. The company confirmed the decision is unrelated to local airport directives and is prioritizing support for affected drivers, riders, and employees. This move follows Uber's recent global organizational changes and previous exits from other African markets.
Ride-hailing giant Uber has announced plans to discontinue its operations in Nigeria and Uganda from September 2, 2026, following a review of its business priorities and investment strategy across Africa.
The company said it will redirect investments towards other markets where it believes it can create larger earning opportunities for drivers and improve access to transportation for riders. Uber will continue operating in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa, while the latest decision follows its exits from Tanzania in February 2026 and Ivory Coast in 2025.
Uber launched in Lagos in 2014 before expanding to Abuja in March 2016, which was then its 400th city globally. As it winds down its Nigerian and Ugandan operations, the company said it will support affected drivers, riders and local employees and communicate directly with them about the transition.
Rider support will remain available for 21 days after the shutdown, while Uber for Business services will also end, with the company saying user data will continue to be managed in accordance with applicable privacy and data protection requirements.
Uber specifically denied that its decision to leave Nigeria was connected to a recent Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) directive concerning commercial e-hailing services at airports. The company said the withdrawal was instead driven by its broader assessment of business priorities and investment allocation across the continent.
The announcement also comes alongside a separate global restructuring in which Uber plans to eliminate about 3,300 management and coordination positions as it seeks to simplify its organizational structure, reduce layers of management and refine its global operations.