Lagos Ride-Hailing Drivers March Over Low Fares and High Commissions, Seek Government Action

Hundreds of Nigerian ride-hailing drivers in Lagos protested low fares and high commissions from Uber, Bolt, and inDrive, citing rising petrol costs and inadequate earnings. They submitted a petition to the Lagos State Assembly calling for regulatory intervention to enforce fairer pricing.

Hundreds of Nigerian drivers affiliated with ride-hailing platforms including Uber, Bolt, and inDrive staged a protest on Wednesday in Lagos, expressing deep frustration over low fares and high commission rates, and calling on the Lagos State Assembly to intervene with regulatory measures to mandate fairer pricing. The protest highlighted growing discontent among drivers in Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest markets for app-based transport services, where roughly half of these drivers operate in Lagos, the country’s commercial hub and a city home to over 20 million people, according to unions and transport authorities.
The drivers argued that the current pricing models used by the platforms are unsustainable, as fares are set too low while commissions can reach up to 30%, leaving them with meager earnings. This financial strain has been exacerbated by surging petrol prices, which have increased significantly following the Iran conflict that has driven up global oil prices. Ayodele Adedoyin Adetola, a union official registered with inDrive, stated that “in the past year, most drivers, at least 90%, have worked without any gain, and they are very unhappy,” emphasizing the widespread dissatisfaction among app-based drivers.
During the protest, drivers carried banners and chanted slogans condemning the pricing policies of all major ride-hailing apps. “And we say no to bad pricing on all the apps, be it inDrive, be it Bolt, be it Uber. We are tired of their bad pricing because we've been to them, we've explained to them, we've mailed them, we've explained that this pricing and the present economic rates are not matching,” Adetola said, reflecting the cumulative frustration after repeated appeals to the companies failed to produce changes.
The protestors marched to the Lagos State Assembly, where they formally submitted a petition urging legislators to take action and enforce regulations that would ensure fairer fare structures and reduce excessive commissions. A lawmaker who received the petition confirmed that it would be reviewed and considered by the assembly, though no immediate timeline for action was provided.
The demonstration underscores the economic pressures faced by ride-hailing drivers in Nigeria, who rely on earnings from these platforms to support themselves and their families. It also highlights broader questions about the regulation of app-based transport services in rapidly growing urban markets, where drivers and commuters alike are increasingly affected by global fuel price fluctuations and the economic realities of city life.
The protest represents a significant step by drivers to push for systemic change, drawing attention to the need for balance between platform profitability and driver livelihoods, and signaling potential policy debates ahead for Lagos and other Nigerian cities where app-based transport plays a critical role in daily commuting.