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By Fakiya Victoria
Lagos, Nigeria: Uber may have left Nigeria, but the story clearly isn’t over. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has now opened a probe into the ride-hailing company’s exit, with a particular focus on whether customers were left with unfulfilled services or other outstanding obligations.
FCCPC CEO Tunji Bello disclosed the investigation to Bloomberg on September 6, just four days after Uber shut down its Nigerian operations.
Recall that on September 2, 2026, the company announced that it was winding down in Nigeria and Uganda effective immediately, ending its 12-year run in Nigeria.
Uber said the decision followed a review of its business and investment priorities, but it did not give a specific reason for leaving Nigeria. Its help centre is expected to remain available until September 23 for customers with outstanding account issues.
For customers, the FCCPC’s question is pretty straightforward: what happens to people who were still owed something when the app went dark? That could include unresolved customer issues or services that had not been completed.
And there is a bigger competition question hanging over the exit too. Uber was one of the country’s biggest ride-hailing platforms, so its departure leaves Bolt, inDrive, and other players with more room to grab riders and drivers.
For consumers, that could eventually mean fewer choices and potentially higher fares if competition weakens.
Uber’s departure also comes after years of tension in Nigeria’s ride-hailing market. The company launched in Lagos in 2014 and expanded to other cities, but operating in Nigeria became increasingly difficult as inflation, fuel and vehicle costs, naira volatility, and competition squeezed the economics of the business.
Drivers have also protested over fares, commissions, and working conditions at different points, including in 2017, 2023 and 2025. More recently, there was a separate dispute over e-hailing operations at Nigerian airports, although Uber and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have both said the FAAN issue was not the reason for Uber’s exit.
What’s more, on September 2, alongside the Nigeria and Uganda exits, Uber announced plans to cut more than 3,000 jobs globally as it restructures and refocuses spending. The company has not said that Nigeria was unprofitable or that the airport dispute forced it out.
For now, its official explanation is a review of its evolving business priorities and investment focus. The FCCPC probe could therefore shed more light on the practical side of the exit, especially whether Uber properly dealt with its obligations to customers before switching off the service.
