Uber has announced it is withdrawing from Nigeria and Uganda with immediate effect, ending more than a decade of operations in two of Africa's most populous ride-hailing markets. The company said the decision followed a thorough review of its business activities, amid mounting pressure from competitors and rising operating costs that had steadily eroded its position in both countries.

Uber first entered Nigeria in 2014 and Uganda in 2016, and at its peak counted more than 5,000 driver partners in Nigeria alone. Over time, however, rival platforms including Bolt and inDrive grew to become significantly more popular with riders and drivers alike. In Nigeria, government-backed services such as LagRide added further competition, while in Uganda, platforms like SafeBoda, Yango and Faras captured a growing share of the market. The pressure on drivers was compounded by Nigeria's removal of its longstanding petrol subsidy in 2023, a policy change that sharply increased fuel and transport costs and triggered widespread disputes over fares and platform commissions, leading to driver protests in recent years. Despite efforts to diversify — including a boat taxi service launched on Lagos's waterways in 2019 to help commuters navigate the city's notoriously congested traffic — Uber was unable to regain its footing.

The exits from Nigeria and Uganda are part of a broader retreat from the African continent. Uber had already pulled out of Ivory Coast and Tanzania over the past year. The company will now maintain a presence in just four African countries: Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. In a notable contrast, Uber recently returned to Morocco after a seven-year absence, focusing on the country's tourism sector.

For drivers and riders left without the platform, competing services are expected to absorb much of the demand. Uber said it would support affected drivers and employees during the transition, with its help centre remaining operational in Nigeria and Uganda until 23 September. The company maintained that the withdrawal did not reflect its broader outlook for the region, stating that it continues to see opportunities across sub-Saharan Africa — though the pace of its retreat suggests those opportunities remain difficult to convert into sustainable business in intensely competitive local markets.