Uber Moves to Create Economic Opportunities for Nigeria with Technology

Emma Okonji

Uber has pledged its continued support for the Nigeria transport business by continually creating economic opportunities for driver-partners through the use of modern technology.
The recently appointed General Manager for Uber West Africa, Lola Kassim, who restated Uber’s commitment at a press conference in Lagos, weekend, said the initiative remained one of Uber’s key priorities for West Africa for the rest of 2017, and in the forthcoming year.

According to Kassim, “Uber’s business partnership approach provides an accessible means for driver-partners to not only supplement their own income, but also to become small business owners, thereby helping to improve the lives and futures of individuals, families and communities.

“In Nigeria, Uber has 267, 000 riders who actively utilize the app, and 7,000 driver-partners. In Ghana, there are 140,000 active riders and 3000 drivers signed up to use the App. The steadily growing number of Uber driver-partners in countries across the region is testament to the appeal of the model, because it creates real opportunities for local entrepreneurs. And as demand for rides also grows, so does the demand for driver-partners.”

Explaining further, she said: “With technology at its core, Uber also invests heavily in supporting its driver-partners in their businesses through ongoing innovation as well as physical presences in the form of support centres known as the Greenlight Hubs. Apart from the existing Greenlight Hubs across sub-Saharan Africa, five more of these state-of-the-art Hubs were opened in Lagos, Kumasi, Dar Es Salaam, Nairobi and Kampala, this year.”

“In addition to offering driver-partners technical and app support, Uber also offers information sessions and tailored workshops to driver-partners, focusing on training and skills development.”
In a move to further re-iterate its commitment to Nigerian driver-partners, Uber recently rolled out a number of powerful features that have made it even easier for driver-partners to choose when, where, and how they drive. Uber also recently increased fares, and the new fare structure ensures that time spent in traffic is accounted for, providing driver-partners and riders with a more reliable experience.

Kassim said: Uber’s mission is to help people get a ride at the push of a button, everywhere and for everyone. We started in 2009 to solve a simple problem of how to get a ride at the touch of a button.”
The Uber network is now available in over 600 cities in over 80 countries spanning six continents.

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