The Chairman of the Alliance for Economic Research and Ethics (AERE), Dele Oye, has said Uber’s planned exit from Nigeria after 12 years of operation has highlighted significant weaknesses in the country’s transport and regulatory framework, particularly in areas relating to competition, consumer choice, airport transportation and regulatory transparency.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Oye argued that the departure of the global ride-hailing giant should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and regulators to reassess how emerging mobility platforms are governed in Nigeria.
Uber announced on September 2, 2026, that it would discontinue its ride-hailing operations in Nigeria after over a decade in the market, citing a review of its business priorities and investment strategy across Africa.
Reacting to the development, Oye, a former President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), said the timing of the company’s departure, amid controversies surrounding ride-hailing operations at Nigerian airports, had raised legitimate concerns about the country’s regulatory environment and its impact on mobility businesses and consumers.
According to him, while airport transport services require regulation due to security considerations, such regulations should be transparent, fair and designed to encourage healthy competition.
“The issue is not whether Nigeria should regulate airport transport. It must. Airports are sensitive security environments, and authorities have a legitimate responsibility to know who is transporting passengers from their premises,” Oye said.
“The question is whether regulation is transparent, proportionate and designed in a way that protects both security and competition.”
Oye noted that recent developments within Nigeria’s airport transportation sector have exposed broader concerns about affordability and market competition. He cited reports of an American traveller being quoted N30,000 for a trip from an airport car-hire desk to Ikeja GRA, compared to an estimated Uber fare of between N6,000 and N8,000 for the same route.
He said such disparities underscore the need for greater transparency and accountability in the administration of airport transport services.
“When consumers have limited alternatives and prices differ sharply, the responsibility of public authorities is to explain the arrangement clearly and demonstrate that the rules are fair, transparent and proportionate,” he stated.
The AERE chairman warned against what he described as “regulation by invoice,” a situation where licensing fees, concession charges, access conditions and operational requirements become difficult to distinguish from revenue-generating measures.
He stressed that every transport-related regulation should clearly identify the safety or operational objective it seeks to achieve, the compliance costs imposed on operators and the value being provided in return.
Oye also advocated for a level playing field among transport providers, including Uber, Bolt, inDrive and traditional car-hire operators. He said regulations covering driver verification, vehicle standards, insurance, passenger complaints and incident reporting should be applied fairly across all operators.
“Equal treatment does not necessarily mean identical treatment,” he said. “It means that differences in regulatory treatment must be justified by evidence.”
He further urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other relevant agencies to safeguard consumer choice while maintaining airport security. According to him, designated pick-up points, driver verification systems and controls against unauthorized solicitation could be implemented without restricting competition.
Oye also called for greater public disclosure of fare information, approved transport operators, concession arrangements and complaint procedures at airports and on official digital platforms.
His comments come shortly after Bolt reached an operational agreement with FAAN and resumed services at airports managed by the authority on August 27. The move followed efforts by FAAN to establish a unified framework for the regulation of e-hailing services within airport premises.
Oye said the agreement demonstrated that digital mobility services and security regulations could coexist effectively when policies are clear, predictable and fairly enforced.
He also urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to continue reviewing Uber’s withdrawal from the Nigerian market, particularly regarding consumer obligations, payments and possible avenues for customer redress.
However, he cautioned against drawing premature conclusions about the company’s conduct.
“Investigation is about establishing facts, not finding a convenient villain,” he said.
According to Oye, Uber’s departure could have far-reaching consequences beyond passengers, affecting thousands of drivers, vehicle financiers, mechanics, fuel retailers and other stakeholders within Nigeria’s transportation ecosystem.
He maintained that the development should prompt a broader conversation on creating a regulatory environment that promotes innovation, protects consumers and supports sustainable growth in the country’s mobility sector.
