Ride-hailing company inDrive has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to Nigeria, days after rival Uber announced plans to exit the Nigerian market.
The company, in a statement issued on Thursday in Lagos, described Nigeria as one of its key African markets, saying it had continued to record year-on-year growth in its active user base.
inDrive also invited drivers and mobility investors affected by Uber’s departure to join its platform and continue providing transportation services to passengers across the country.
The company currently operates in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Ibadan, Owerri and Enugu, among other locations.
It said its business model was designed for emerging markets where affordability remains an important consideration for consumers.
According to the company, it charges a service fee of about 10 per cent, while passengers and drivers negotiate fares directly.
Unlike conventional ride-hailing platforms that use algorithms to determine fares, inDrive said it does not set ride prices algorithmically, giving drivers and passengers greater control over the cost of each trip.
The company said its Nigerian operations had expanded beyond its core ride-hailing service to include Economy and Courier offerings, while newer products such as Comfort, One Click and TukTuk were introduced to improve service quality and provide more transportation options.
While acknowledging that Uber’s exit came as a surprise, inDrive said it had always welcomed competition because it encouraged companies to improve their products and services.
It said it had invested substantially in Nigeria and would continue investing in safety, technology, service quality and local communities.
inDrive also disclosed plans to develop solutions for mobility investors and fleet owners, enabling them to deploy vehicles commercially and generate additional income through the platform.
The company said the expansion would create more flexible earning opportunities for drivers while ensuring passengers continued to have access to affordable and reliable transportation.
Uber’s decision to discontinue its Nigerian operations has opened an opportunity for competing ride-hailing platforms to attract its drivers and customers.