Uber has ended its operations in Nigeria and Uganda as the ride-hailing company reshuffles its global business and redirects investment towards markets and technologies it sees as offering stronger long-term growth.
The company officially stopped its services in the two countries on September 2, 2026, following a review of its business priorities and investment focus across Africa.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told the BBC that the company was also cutting its global workforce by 10 per cent, affecting approximately 3,300 jobs, as part of a broader effort to simplify its operations and focus resources on future growth.
The company said its decision to leave Nigeria and Uganda was specific to the two markets and did not represent a wider withdrawal from Africa.
“We remain committed to sub-Saharan Africa, where we continue to see strong growth and opportunity,” Khosrowshahi said.
Why Nigeria?
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Uber’s exit comes at a challenging time for Nigeria’s ride-hailing sector, where rising fuel and vehicle-maintenance costs, inflation and currency pressures have increased the cost of operating for drivers and platforms.
The company launched in Lagos in 2014 before expanding to other Nigerian cities, building a 12-year presence in one of Africa’s biggest and most competitive ride-hailing markets.
However, the increasingly difficult business environment has placed pressure on the economics of ride-hailing, with drivers facing higher operating costs while platforms compete for riders in a price-sensitive market.
Uber’s decision therefore ends more than a decade of operations in Nigeria as the company reassesses where it can achieve sustainable growth.
Why Uganda?
In Uganda, Uber’s departure similarly comes as the ride-hailing industry continues to change, with local and international platforms competing for riders and drivers.
Uber launched in Kampala in 2016 and operated in the country for 10 years before announcing its exit.
The departure could give competing platforms an opportunity to absorb Uber’s former drivers and customers as they fight for a larger share of Kampala’s mobility market.
A wider global strategy
Uber’s decision in Nigeria and Uganda is also part of a broader restructuring of its global business.
Khosrowshahi said the company was reducing its workforce by about 10 per cent, equivalent to approximately 3,300 jobs, as it seeks to simplify its structure and direct resources towards areas with greater future potential.
One of those areas is autonomous transportation, which Uber has increasingly identified as an important part of its long-term strategy.
The company has stressed that it remains committed to sub-Saharan Africa despite the two exits, meaning its withdrawal from Nigeria and Uganda should not be interpreted as an abandonment of the continent.
The latest departures follow Uber’s withdrawal from other African markets in recent years, including Tanzania and Ivory Coast.
For Nigeria and Uganda, however, the September 2 exits mark the end of two significant chapters in Uber’s African expansion, with the company choosing to concentrate its resources on markets and technologies it believes offer better prospects for future growth.