Global Ride-Hailing Giant Uber Exits Nigeria and Uganda After Over a Decade of Operations
The multinational platform has abruptly wound down its services in two of its key East and West African markets as part of a broader corporate restructuring and strategic portfolio reset.
LAGOS / KAMPALA — Global ride-hailing giant Uber has officially discontinued its operations in Nigeria and Uganda with immediate effect, bringing an end to its 12-year run in Nigeria and 10-year presence in Uganda.
The company cited an evolving portfolio reset and investment focus across Africa, noting that the decision follows a comprehensive review of its regional operations. Interestingly, this abrupt market exit comes despite Uber's previous high-profile strategic investments in the region, notably backing African vehicle-financing platform Moove to scale driver vehicle access. While stepping back from direct ride-hailing operations in these two key markets, Uber emphasized that the wind-down is strictly limited to Nigeria and Uganda and does not impact its footprint across the rest of the continent, where it maintains active operations in countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Egypt.
The simultaneous exits from Lagos and Kampala coincide with a broader organizational overhaul under CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, which includes significant global workforce reductions to realign capital toward core businesses and autonomous vehicle initiatives.
While Nigeria and Uganda presented massive user bases, mounting macroeconomic pressures, foreign exchange volatility, and challenging local operating margins complicated the long-term unit economics for standard ride-hailing operations in both countries.
Despite pulling back from Nigeria and Uganda—following earlier exits from Tanzania and Côte d’Ivoire—Uber leadership reiterated that the company remains deeply invested in sub-Saharan Africa. Operations in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Egypt continue to serve as the foundation for the company's long-term strategy on the continent, balancing localized mobility solutions with sustainable commercial growth.
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