Why Uber dumped Nigeria – FAAN

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has denied responsibility for Uber’s decision to end its ride-hailing operations in Nigeria, saying the company’s exit was likely driven by its own economic and regulatory considerations.

Uber ended its ride-hailing operations in Nigeria on September 2, 2026, after 12 years of service.

FAAN Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, said the authority had received complaints about the experiences of passengers using some e-hailing platforms and car-hire services at airports, particularly during the December holiday period.

FAAN explains airport concerns

Kuku spoke in Lagos on the sidelines of the second induction ceremony and unveiling of the montage of honourees at the Nigeria Aviation Hall of Fame, themed ‘The Next Generation of Aviation Leaders: Talent, Technology and Global Competitiveness’.

She said FAAN received complaints involving intimidation, passengers being dropped at unintended locations and other troubling experiences involving some e-hailing and car-hire services.

According to her, FAAN also had disagreements with e-hailing companies over driver liability and the provision of dedicated pickup zones at airports.

“For Uber, I can’t speak to their exit from Nigeria. I am sure they have their own economic and regulatory decisions as to why they choose to exit,” Kuku said.

She stressed that FAAN’s primary responsibility was to ensure passenger safety and provide a seamless experience at airports.

Dispute over drivers and airport pickups

Kuku disclosed that FAAN had encountered situations where some Uber and Bolt drivers allegedly posed as airport e-hailing drivers and joined car-hire operators to charge passengers higher fares.

She said the development contributed to complaints about touting at airports and prompted FAAN to introduce greater regulatory oversight of car-hire operations.

The authority subsequently developed the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, known as ACHRAMS, to provide greater visibility into registered car-hire operators and their drivers.

Kuku clarified that FAAN does not collect money on behalf of the drivers and that the car-hire operators are not FAAN employees.

She said the system only provides passengers with information, including indicative fares based on their destinations, while passengers remain free to choose between pre-booked cars, e-hailing services and airport car-hire operators.

Liability remained major sticking point

The FAAN boss said one of the authority’s major disagreements with e-hailing companies centred on liability for drivers operating at airports.

According to her, e-hailing companies sought dedicated pickup zones, a request FAAN agreed to, but the authority also wanted the companies to accept responsibility for the conduct and safety of drivers using their platforms.

She said the companies argued that the drivers were independent contractors rather than direct employees, and therefore declined to assume responsibility for them.

Kuku said this position created a major concern for FAAN because the authority wanted stronger accountability whenever passenger safety issues arose.

She maintained that passengers ultimately had the choice of which transportation service to use, while FAAN’s role was to ensure that travellers had adequate information about the operators and drivers within the airport environment.