Uber quits Nigeria and Uganda, leaving Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa

Uber has today stopped operating in Nigeria and Uganda.

“After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. “This decision is limited strictly to these two markets and does not impact our operations across the rest of the continent.”

Uber launched in Lagos in 2014 and in Kampala in June 2016. Rider support stays open for 21 days after the shutdown to clear outstanding queries. Drivers get a one-time goodwill payment, and Uber has not said how much it is.

What broke in Nigeria

Three thingsL

1. Bolt and inDrive took the market, inDrive by letting riders and drivers haggle over the fare directly. Local apps Lagride and Rida took more. Uber never recovered.
2. Costs moved onto drivers. Nigeria removed its petrol subsidy in May 2023, and drivers pay for fuel while the app sets the price. Drivers have spent years contesting commissions of up to 25%, and in July 2026 the Public Complaints Commission directed an intervention over those complaints.
3. Then the airport business closed. In August, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria told Uber and Bolt to halt commercial operations at airports it manages until licence agreements were finalised. FAAN said this was not a ban and that it is building an airport car hire management system covering ordinary taxis too. Either way, Uber lost the Lagos and Abuja airport queues weeks before it quit.

Uber gave no market-specific reason for Uganda, where SafeBoda, Bolt and Yango have long outrun it in Kampala.

Five Uber exits in twelve months

1. Uber left Abidjan in September 2025 after six years in Côte d’Ivoire.
2. Uber left Tanzania in January 2026, after the Land Transport Regulatory Authority capped platform commission at 15% against Uber’s standard 25%, fixed prices and killed surge pricing. Uber could not fund sign-up bonuses or discounts on those terms, so it left.

From 8 markets, Uber now only operates in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. But in South Africa, the company has just yesterday discontinued UberX, it’s cheapest tier.

Uber also cut jobs today

The company has also announced it is cutting 3,300 jobs, about 10% of its staff. This comes as Uber commits more than $10 billion to autonomous vehicle partners including Avride, Lucid, Nuro and Rivian.

Meanwhile in Kenya

Uber cut its Kenyan commission from 25% to 18% in 2022 to meet the NTSA cap, as we reported at the time. The Ministry of Roads and Transport is now drafting amendment regulations that would guarantee drivers a minimum payout of up to KES 500 per trip. When it asked the 18 licensed platforms to propose their own figures in July 2026, all of them refused. Nairobi riders are not sold either: 59% opposed the minimum fare and 39% backed it in a TIFA Research poll of 733 adults run from 17 to 21 July 2026. The Competition (Amendment) Bill 2026 would separately let the Competition Authority of Kenya police deactivations, service fees and contract changes, which we covered in July.