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Uber is winding down operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective 2 September 2026, ending its 12-year presence in Nigeria and narrowing its African footprint as the company undertakes a wider global restructuring. The withdrawal follows a review of business priorities and investment focus. Uber emphasised that the decision is limited to the two markets and does not affect its operations elsewhere on the continent.

“After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026,” an Uber spokesperson said. “This decision is limited strictly to these two markets and does not impact our operations across the rest of the continent. Our immediate priority is supporting drivers, riders, and local team members throughout this transition.”

In Nigeria, the exit marks the end of a business that began in Lagos in 2014 and helped popularise app-based ride-hailing in Africa’s largest economy. Uber told customers it had been “an absolute privilege” to be part of their daily journeys, from morning commutes to trips around the city, and apologised for any disruption the shutdown may cause. The company said its help centre in Nigeria would remain available until 23 September to assist customers with final account queries, and that rider support would remain available for a transition period in both affected markets. User data, it added, would continue to be handled in line with applicable data protection laws and Uber’s privacy policies.

Uber has not disclosed how many drivers, riders or local employees will be affected in either Nigeria or Uganda. It said it had been communicating with active driver partners and business customers about the transition, but did not provide details of any compensation or settlement arrangements.

The pullout comes against the backdrop of Uber’s largest workforce reduction since the COVID-19 pandemic. The company plans to cut about 3,300 jobs, around 10 per cent of its global workforce, as part of an effort to simplify its organisation, reduce management layers and accelerate decision-making. Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi has said Uber’s rapid expansion over the past five years has created fragmented ownership and organisational complexity. The restructuring is expected to reduce deeply layered reporting lines, cut the number of small teams with only one or two direct reports, and leave fully remote roles at about 1 per cent of the workforce.

Uber’s retrenchment in Nigeria and Uganda also fits a broader pattern of global consolidation. Over the past decade, the company has exited several challenging markets – including China, Southeast Asia, Russia and Argentina – as it concentrates resources on countries where it sees clearer paths to profitability and long-term scale. Analysts say Uber is increasingly favouring markets with more predictable regulatory environments, stronger consumer purchasing power and lower operating volatility. Africa’s ride-hailing economics have become more difficult in recent years, with operators facing rising fuel prices, currency depreciation, high vehicle import costs and intense competition from lower-cost rivals such as Bolt and inDrive.

Uber will reinvest savings from the restructuring in areas it sees as central to future growth, including ride hailing, delivery and autonomous vehicle technology. The company is expected to commit more than $10 billion to robotaxi-related initiatives in the coming years as it seeks to position its platform as a marketplace for driverless rides. It has deepened partnerships with autonomous vehicle developers such as Waymo, Motional and Aurora, and has begun piloting autonomous deliveries in select U.S. cities. Industry observers say Uber’s long term vision is to operate an asset light marketplace for autonomous fleets, a model that could eventually reduce the importance of human driver networks in markets where regulatory frameworks support autonomous deployment.

That shift presents both an opportunity and a risk for Uber. A mature robotaxi industry could reduce the centrality of human drivers in today’s ride-hailing model, but it could also allow Uber to remain a key intermediary for transport demand if autonomous fleets use its platform to reach riders.

The company’s African retrenchment follows earlier withdrawals from some markets and signals a sharper focus on countries where it believes it can achieve stronger returns at scale. In Uganda, Uber had become one of Kampala’s recognisable app-based transport options since entering the market in 2015, while in Nigeria it helped shape the modern ride-hailing sector alongside competitors such as Bolt, inDrive and local platforms.

For riders, Uber’s exit means an immediate search for alternatives. For drivers, it adds pressure to a sector already strained by rising fuel prices, vehicle maintenance costs, fare disputes and commission concerns. In Nigeria, drivers have protested over fares, commission rates and treatment in previous years, highlighting the difficult economics facing ride-hailing operators.

The Nigerian exit also follows recent discussions between Uber and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria over e-hailing operations at airports. FAAN had said it did not impose a blanket ban on Uber and that talks with operators were continuing on safety, security, accountability and pick-up arrangements. Uber has said its decision to leave Nigeria was not related to the FAAN directive.

Taken together, the exits from Nigeria and Uganda mark one of Uber’s most significant recent withdrawals from African tech markets. They also underscore a broader recalibration across the ride-hailing industry: platforms are under pressure to balance passenger affordability, drivers’ sustainable earnings and investors’ profitability, even as the future of mobility increasingly shifts towards automation.