Uber has announced plans to wind down its operations in Nigeria and Uganda, marking another retreat from African markets as the ride-hailing company reallocates investment towards businesses and geographies it believes offer greater scale.
The company said on Wednesday that operations in both countries would end effective September 2, following a review of its business priorities and investment focus across Africa.
Uber said it was concentrating its capital on markets where it could “add the most value for drivers by providing earning opportunities at scale and enabling riders to go anywhere seamlessly”.
The decision is limited to Nigeria and Uganda and will not affect Uber’s operations elsewhere on the continent, the company said in a statement shared with XOL Africa.
“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. “This decision is limited strictly to these two markets and does not impact our operations across the rest of the continent.”
The company said its immediate priority was supporting drivers, riders and local team members during the transition, adding that it remained “deeply committed to Sub-Saharan Africa”, where it continued to see “robust growth and long-term opportunity”.
What happens to drivers and employees?
The shutdown leaves questions over the future of Uber’s drivers, local employees and other partners in the two markets.
Drivers may have the option of moving to competing ride-hailing platforms, but Uber did not provide details of arrangements for affected workers and driver-partners. The company said it would continue communicating with those affected by the decision.
It was not immediately clear whether those arrangements would include financial compensation.
Uber said rider support would remain available for 21 days after operations cease to deal with outstanding queries and other transition-related matters.
The company also said rider data would be managed in accordance with applicable data-protection laws, privacy requirements and its internal data-protection policies.
“Uber will limit data retention to what is legally required, maintain appropriate security controls, and fulfill ongoing legal obligations and data requests,” it said.
Not linked to airport directive
Uber said its decision to leave Nigeria was unrelated to a recent directive by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) concerning e-hailing operations at Nigerian airports.
The clarification comes as regulators and airport authorities have continued to scrutinise how ride-hailing services operate around major transport hubs in the country.
Another retreat from African markets
The decision adds to a series of withdrawals by Uber from African markets.
The company exited Tanzania in February 2026, while it shut down its operations in Ivory Coast in 2025 after six years in the market.
Following the latest exits, Uber will operate in four African markets: Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
The retrenchment illustrates the tension facing global technology companies operating across Africa: while the continent offers a large and growing consumer market, fragmented regulation, intense local competition, operating costs and the economics of serving drivers and riders at scale can make individual markets difficult to sustain.
Uber’s latest move suggests the company is increasingly prioritising depth and scale in a smaller number of African markets rather than maintaining a broad continental footprint.
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