GLOBAL ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. has announced plans to exit Nigeria and Uganda, effective Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

The development follows a broader global restructuring effort by the company, which includes cutting approximately 3,300 roles, representing 10 per cent of its global workforce.

In an official statement issued on Wednesday, the ride-hailing firm disclosed that the exit followed a comprehensive review of its business model in both African markets.

“After a thorough review, we have taken the difficult decision to wind down operations in Nigeria and Uganda, effective September 2, 2026,” the company said.

The company stated that the decision was limited to Nigeria and Uganda, adding that its operations across other African markets would continue without interruption. Its immediate focus will shift toward supporting local drivers, riders, and staff during the transition period.

With the decision, thousands of Uber drivers in Nigeria and Uganda face immediate uncertainty regarding their primary source of livelihood.

The exit comes amid existing economic pressures on local operators, including surging fuel costs, high vehicle maintenance expenses, and recent driver-led protests over low commissions, forcing many platform workers to migrate to rival ride-hailing services or seek alternative income streams.

The exit comes as Uber embarks on a company-wide restructuring aimed at streamlining management structures and diverting capital into core ride-sharing, delivery, and autonomous driving technology.

According to an internal email obtained by Bloomberg News, Uber Chief Executive Officer, Dara Khosrowshahi, noted that rapid growth in recent years resulted in operational redundancies across the organisation.

Khosrowshahi said growth had created “more layers, more coordination, more fragmented ownership, and in some cases structures that made sense when businesses were smaller but no longer serve us well at our current scale”.