Young educated Nigerians who want to enjoy some level of freedom while earning legitimate income equivalent to or even better than what is accruable from average 9-5 jobs in the country have found succour in the ride-hailing services sector with resounding success stories, MARIA DIAMOND writes.
About 10 to 15 years ago, if you asked any typical Nigerian their perception of e-taxis, the general remark would have been that it was more of a foreign thing, as commuting in the country for those who did not have private vehicles was done either by heading to the bus stops and boarding commercial buses or taking a trip to the traditional taxi parks nearest to one’s location.
Back then, the job of a taxi driver was perceived to be one for uneducated middle aged/elderly men between ages 40-60. If you ever got into chit-chat with those taxi drivers about their jobs and future aspirations, the narrative from a number of them always started with how they became taxi drivers because they acquired little or zero formal education. For the men in their early 30s, who still had big dreams and were filled with hope for a better future, they would tell you how they intend to save enough money from the jobs so they can afford to return to the classroom to study courses that would earn them a white-collar job now nicknamed 9-5 job. On the part of the elderly ones, they too wanted to save enough from the job so as to afford the payment of their children’s tuition fees. “I don’t want my children to end up as taxi drivers” you would hear them lament bitterly.
This is because taxi driving those days was a job for the illiterate until July 2014 when the Uber ride app was officially launched in Lagos State. Call it the dawn of a digital era in commuting in Nigeria and you would be correct as the arrival of the global giant ride-hailing services firm in the country spurred organised ride-hailing; where rather than walking to the nearest taxi park or bus stop to wave down a taxi, you stay in the comfort of your location, book your ride through a mobile app and in a matter of minutes, it arrives and off you go.
“It’s commuting life made easy” Chioma Chukwuemeka, an insurance personnel said, adding that the arrival of Uber in 2014 was long overdue. “I wonder why it took that long for us as a country to key into digital ride-hailing. Aside from the challenge of walking a long distance from my house to the bus stop every morning, it was always a big hassle to wave down a taxi at the bus stop as they were either not available or already occupied. It was more frustrating as I couldn’t bring myself to jump buses with my outfits and styles; I had to always walk another distance from the bus stop to taxi parks. I don’t remember any time I was pleased to go through that stressful routine, especially in the morning when going to work from Surulere to Victoria Island where my office was. Returning home was less stressful, as I tried to always join my colleagues in their cars back home, although sometimes it was impossible to meet up or fit into their schedules. On such days, transport hustle continues and you can’t tell which is worse between morning and evening as the crowd at the bus stops waiting for vehicles was overwhelming.
“So, when Uber launched in Lagos and turned out to be quite cheaper than the analogue taxi rides at the parks, it felt like a breakthrough from the to and fro commuting stress. You get to work in time, looking fresh, energised and ready to win the day!” Chioma said.
The success of Uber in the country within a short period paved the way for the entrance of more e-taxis into the market, as Taxify, now known as Bolt, also officially launched in 2016. The launch of Taxify (Bolt) was a game changer in the ride-hailing industry in Nigeria as more alternative ride services such as inDriver, Pickmeup, Holla, EasyTaxi, CarXie, Jekalo, RideMe and Hopin among others emerged.
This revolution in the ride-hailing market, which literally wiped off the traditional taxi services, especially in urban centres across the country, changed the portfolio of taxi drivers from a job for the illiterate to one for young smart chaps, as educated young Nigerians especially males, became ride-hailing drivers.
Initially, these young Nigerians worked as drivers for the ride-hailing firms due to a number of reasons far from making it a full time job. Some undergraduates did it at their leisure to make money and support their education; others took up the job for lack of employment after graduation to keep body and soul together and pay bills while expecting a more lucrative dream job; while some did it as a side hustle after closing from their 9-5 jobs on a daily basis.
However, a number of them soon discovered that what they took as a part-time job was lucrative as more Nigerians embraced their services, which translated into more income for them. This reality automatically redirected their perception of the job, making them take it as their full-time source of livelihood even as more literate youths joined.
Speaking to The Guardian, Segun Abiodun, a ride-hailing driver in Lagos, said: “I resigned my job in a bank to become an e-taxi driver because at the end of the day, it’s first about the money which turns out to be better than what I earned monthly in the bank. Also, the policies, terms and conditions of ride-hailing jobs are amiable. More so, the job gives me the opportunity to do a number of other things without the pressure that comes with the 9-5 job. You also get to meet very interesting people while driving them to their destinations. More importantly is the fact that I enjoy driving. So the way I see it, I am earning good income from doing something I love with ease.”
Another young ride-hailing driver, Steven Segun, who noted that it requires a well-mannered, properly educated and tech-driven person to take up the e-taxi job, revealed that ride-hailing has become one of the most lucrative jobs in Nigeria.
“Ride-hailing is what I do for a living. I love my job and I do not joke with it. The hard workers have it better especially if you can work during the early morning and evening rush. For me, the most lucrative period is that early morning, especially with Island trips. Due to how much I make on a daily basis, I am always eager to wake up early each day to work and I do it happily regardless of other personal challenges I may have. Once I am in the car and accept a ride order, I naturally switch to the pleasant work mode. This pleasant mode, I noticed, usually rubs off on my passengers as they lighten up to a welcoming driver. They start interesting conversations and feel good about a driver who not only knows a bit of everything but also communicates well. Sometimes you even get tips for being a bright driver. This is why ride-hailing is not a job for illiterates or shallow minded people.”
Segun, however, noted how he values his time and does not appreciate people who book rides and make drivers wait a long time before they come out for the trip.
“It puts me off because time is money; although the app starts to charge you after keeping the driver waiting for a period of time. This is why we insist that people get ready before they order a ride. You are supposed to be waiting for the driver to arrive and not the other way round,” he added.
Also speaking, a 26-year-old female ride-hailing driver, who prefers anonymity, told The Guardian during a late night ride from Ikoyi to Oke-Afa area of Lagos that she does the job after closing from her regular job to earn extra income.
She said: “I am a graduate of the University of Lagos and I read a very interesting course that would amaze you to hear, and it would further surprise you to know that I am also practicing my profession. At the close of work, I go home, freshen up and start ride-hailing from 7.00pm every day. Beyond making extra income, I love to drive at night as it helps to detox from the hectic day, which seems inevitable on a daily basis especially in this country. So, I enjoy driving, day or night. I find the technicality that comes with driving via all your senses energising as opposed to exhausting. That’s weird right? Driving fixes everything for me. When I am upset or feeling down, driving calms my nerves and helps me breathe. Based on this, one day I just thought while not making more money from what you love to do, which is driving? So, I started night ride-hailing, Monday to Sunday, week in and out. I start by 7.00pm and close at midnight.”
She also revealed that a lot of passengers, especially men, find it shocking to find her behind the wheel as most of them do not look at her profile on the app to notice she bears a female name.
“I get a lot of wow! What? You’re the driver? And I always respond with my beautiful smile while beckoning them to hop in and enjoy the ride. Of course, they are always impressed and some of them even feel intimidated when the driving show begins. I call it a driving show because I will smoothly navigate and ride you off the worst road condition to the safety of your destination. A number of my passengers have had to call it safe road flying. Some always confessed that they were worried about my show of expertise on the wheel at the outset because they didn’t trust that a woman can safely control the wheel with such intensity until they found themselves saying ‘you’re so good at driving.’ Then plenty of questions follow and I try to answer to the best of my knowledge. And guess what? My tips sometimes are way more than the ride fare.”
When asked if people don’t take advantage of her, especially since she works at night, she said: “First, when you see a lady who is doing ride-hailing at night in this country, the first thing that comes to mind is that she is definitely courageous. Then when you look at my personality and driving skills, you just know you can’t mess with me. I also ensure I don’t pick more than one person unless it’s a man and a woman, but I wouldn’t take more than one man per trip. Having driven late at night for years, I don’t feel threatened by the dark.”
Is there a time when she plans to stop ride-hailing in the evening or altogether? The female ride-hailing driver responded: “Yes, I intend to stop when I get married. I am not sure my husband would like it. Although I am not the kind of a woman who would just give up something she loves doing for anyone, I also think I would love spending the evening with my husband and kids when they start coming. So, it’s a win-win to give up what I love doing for another thing I would love doing. I hear marriage is a beautiful thing and it would be nice to experience its beauty even if it means compromising every now and then. More so, in this part of the world, a woman is traditionally expected to give up a lot to sustain her marriage.”
On his part, Chimobi (surname withheld), who studied Accounting in the university, said he used to work in a corporate marketing firm that struggled to pay his monthly salary on time. According to him, he decided to leave the job for ride-hailing four years ago based on the testimonies of some of his friends who are drivers for different apps.
“In fact, one bought a piece of land and started building a house just from being a full time ride-hailing driver. What I find more interesting is the fact that I can actually drive for more than one app on schedule,” he said.
Chimobi, however, noted that ride-hailing is not totally a bed of roses, adding: “Some days can be frustrating on the job especially when you have clients who book multiple ride apps because they are in a hurry and you find yourself arriving at their location only to discover that they are off with another app ride. That is always a loss, as the driver would have wasted time and fuel travelling to the pickup point.”
When asked how much the ride-hailing apps charge drivers, Chimobi disclosed that, “it depends on the app but the two apps I work with take 25 per cent from each ride and I think it’s quite fair.”
On the most lucrative time of the day for drivers, he said: “When there is surge of passengers, which happens mostly during the rush hours in the morning and evening, especially on weekends as a lot of car owners want to go out and hangout or attend one event or the other without the hassles of driving themselves, while others don’t want to deal with the stress that comes with doing public transportation. Due to these numerous reasons, there is always higher demand at weekends, which automatically causes a raise in prices and that means good business for us.”
Also speaking, a ride-hailing driver who identified himself as Daramola, said: “Initially, I was doing ride-hailing as a side hustle. I resumed my 9-5 job in the morning and as soon as I closed from work in the evening I would resume ride-hailing with my car till 9pm before going home. However, after seeing how lucrative and seamless ride-hailing is, I decided to do it full time.”
Peter Nkem also revealed that he started ride-hailing because earning income with it was a bit easy.
“However, there is a major challenge of bad roads which damages your car and sometimes causes more loss than gain. This is why I try to reject ride orders of destinations or locations that have bad roads except if I didn’t know about the condition of the road before accepting the order.”
Nkem also lamented that security agencies pose some challenges. He said: “The truth is no ride-hailing app would allow any driver to work if your documents are not up to date. But you still find security agencies, especially the police, harassing and delaying you on the road. These usually upset passengers as you end up delaying them. When a passenger is upset, he or she wouldn’t rate you and ratings are important for us as ride-hailing drivers.”
Another major challenge, according to a driver who requested not to be named, is insecurity especially at night.
“If your car breaks down on the road at night, you and your passenger are doomed, because before you know it these hoodlums will come out from nowhere and rob you. If you are unlucky, they would even harm you and your passenger,” the driver said.
While these challenges cannot be overlooked, it is glaring that Nigerians have embraced digital ride-hailing services. From the arrival of Uber and others, ride-hailing services in Nigeria is not only growing for all the obvious positive reasons which include comfort, timeliness and affordability but has also become a major source of income for a lot of young men who tag it a new ease of doing business.
According to a market research platform, Statistia, studies anticipated that by this year, the ride-hailing market in Nigeria would generate revenue of $252.70 million. This sector is expected to exhibit an annual growth rate of 10.74 per cent, leading to a projected market size of $380.00 million by 2028. Moreover, it is anticipated that the number of users in this market will escalate to 36.89 million by 2028. Globally, the ride-hailing market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate during the forecast period – 2024 to 2031.
