Uber is shutting down services in Nigeria and Uganda from September 2 after a global review of its operations; it launched in Nigeria in 2014 and Uganda in 2016
Bloomberg
Context & Ripple Effects
Uber had treated Uganda as an expansion market, introducing its first African motorcycle service there in 2018 as Taxify rolled out a comparable offering. The closure reverses that operating bet in both countries.
The decision also fits a record of selectively withdrawing from markets: Uber suspended Morocco amid regulatory uncertainty in 2018, while Reuters described its Brazil Eats shutdown as part of a global repositioning toward profitable operations.
First-order effects
Uber’s riders and drivers in Nigeria and Uganda lose access to its marketplace as the services close, ending operations launched in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
Second-order effects
Uber loses Nigeria and Uganda as operating markets for its ride-hailing network, including Uganda’s earlier uberBODA motorcycle-service foothold.
Third-order effects
Paired with Uber’s prior Morocco suspension and Brazil Eats exit, the global review signals a more selective international footprint in which country-level operations must justify their place in the portfolio.
The trend: Uber is moving toward tighter portfolio management, retreating from selected markets rather than treating geographic expansion as an end in itself.
Ok, THIS is wild, never expected anything like this: Uber exited Nigeria... no warning, just shut down the app, on the spot. When riders were mid-trip ?!! This is what a startup that just went bankrupt would do, not a $150B corporation. Uber operated in Nigeria since 2014 (!!)
I don't know if your work is the exonerate the government from all blames all the time. It's “us” problem and not Tinubu's government problem. The question you should ask yourself is why drivers in other countries not doing same. Well done Akin.
Hhaaaaaaaa....I was reading this and it's exactly what the problem is with Uber as most drivers try to go offline after picking up riders but you thinking and saying that the circumvention is not due to the economy or the Tinubu policies will be the most funny thing I've ever rea…
Exiting a market is understandable and Uber has done it many times before. Each time, it gave a few weeks of heads up, then shut down, paid drivers + offboarded, closed operations No idea why it would not follow the “usual” playbook Suggests it will never go back
Uber leaving Nigeria (and Uganda simultaneously) isn't a local policy issue, it's a global tech corporate restructuring. Uber pulled out of Uganda on the exact same day which is today, 2nd September 2026. Uber is cutting almost 3,300 jobs globally to fund a massive pivot toward a…
Uber @uberng is gone from Nigeria after 12 years. I am not surprised. This market punishes platforms that assume trust. The company built the marketplace, while the driver shows up and asks the rider to go offline, keeping the full fare. Zero work locating the passenger! 100% of …
More details from the BBC. They did the same in Uganda The “how” I cannot get my head around. Nigeria was one of Uber's first markets in Africa, to exit such a longtime market seemingly so carelessly is the shocker