Uber Exit Puts Nigerian Drivers Under Pressure as Car Loan Repayments Loom

Uber’s exit from Nigeria has left many drivers facing a new financial challenge, with some now worried about how they will continue repaying vehicle loans after losing access to the platform that provided their main source of income.

The concern has become particularly serious for drivers who obtained or deployed vehicles through financing arrangements linked to Uber, as the company discontinued its Nigerian operations on September 2, 2026, after 12 years in the country.

Drivers using vehicles financed through mobility company Moove are among those affected, with questions now being raised about how they will meet their repayment obligations after Uber stopped accepting new ride requests in Nigeria.

The situation follows Uber’s decision to withdraw from Nigeria and Uganda as part of what the company described as a review of its evolving business priorities and investment focus. Uber said the decision was specific to the two countries and maintained that it remained committed to other markets across sub-Saharan Africa.

For affected drivers, however, the immediate concern is not the company’s wider African strategy but how to keep earning enough money to pay for vehicles acquired for ride-hailing.

Uber and Moove had a partnership under which Moove-financed vehicles were deployed on Uber’s platform. The arrangement meant that some drivers using those vehicles for UberGo had previously been required to operate exclusively on Uber.

With the platform now gone, the drivers are left having to consider other ride-hailing services while still carrying the financial obligations attached to their vehicles.

The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria has advised affected drivers to migrate to competing platforms, particularly Bolt and inDrive, as they adjust to the new situation.

The union, however, said the transition would not be easy because drivers were already dealing with rising operating costs, including fuel, vehicle maintenance and other expenses.

According to the union’s Public Relations Officer, Steven Iwindoye, drivers now have to officially move to other platforms following Uber’s departure.

The union also raised questions over what would happen to vehicles financed through Moove, particularly cars acquired or deployed specifically for Uber operations.

The concern is significant because drivers who financed vehicles based on expected earnings from Uber still have to meet their loan commitments regardless of whether the platform remains available.

For drivers already struggling to maintain their vehicles, the loss of a major source of trips could put additional pressure on household income and increase the risk of missed repayments.

The development comes at a time when Nigeria’s ride-hailing market remains active and increasingly competitive, with Bolt, inDrive and other mobility services competing for drivers and passengers.

Industry data cited by The PUNCH put Nigeria’s ride-hailing and mobility platforms market at about $450 million in 2025, with projections that it could rise to $982 million by 2032.

The size of the market suggests that there are still opportunities for drivers to continue working, but moving from one platform to another does not automatically remove the financial difficulties confronting those who have outstanding vehicle payments.

Uber entered Nigeria in 2014, beginning its operations in Lagos before expanding to Abuja and other locations. Its withdrawal therefore represents a major change for drivers, riders, fleet operators and vehicle-financing businesses that had built parts of their activities around the platform.

Uber has said it is supporting affected drivers and riders during the transition and has begun communicating with active drivers about the changes. The company also said it would provide drivers with a token of appreciation as part of the transition process.

However, the immediate financial obligations of drivers remain a major concern, particularly for those whose vehicles were financed with the expectation of regular income from Uber trips.

The situation could therefore push more drivers to combine multiple ride-hailing platforms in an effort to maintain enough income to cover fuel, maintenance, household expenses and vehicle repayments.

For many of them, Uber’s departure is no longer simply a business decision by a multinational company. It has become a question of how to keep their vehicles on the road while meeting the loans attached to them.

As the Nigerian ride-hailing sector adjusts to Uber’s exit, drivers, unions and vehicle-financing companies will be watching closely to see how the transition affects loan repayments, vehicle ownership and the future of app-based transport work in the country.