Global ride-hailing giant Uber says it will exit the Nigerian market and also pull out of Uganda as part of its global market restructuring
In a statement on Wednesday by the company, the decision will take effect from Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
According to the company, only the two African countries will be affected by the decision, which it said followed a “thorough review” and will not have any consequences on the markets in other parts of the continent.
The exits come as Uber announced its largest downsizing since the COVID-19 pandemic. The company plans to scrap about 3,300 positions, which is about 10% of its global workforce of about 34,000 employees at the end of 2025.
The restructuring is designed to balance Uber’s corporate framework, reduce management layers and channel resources toward areas the company sees as having greater growth potential, including ride-sharing, delivery and robotaxis.
In the statement on Wednesday, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company’s rapid expansion over the past five years had created additional management layers, fragmented ownership and organisational complexity that had slowed decision-making.
The shake-up and reorganisation will reduce the number of employees positioned seven or more reporting layers below the CEO by 20%, while the number of teams with only one or two direct reports will be cut by nearly half. Uber is also reducing fully remote roles to about 1% of its workforce.
The company said the funds that accrue to it from the revamping would be reinvested in growth, innovation and capabilities it considers important to its future.
One of the biggest priorities is autonomous mobility. Uber plans to invest more than $10 billion in robotaxis in the coming years, backing companies developing autonomous-driving technology and positioning its platform to serve as a marketplace for driverless rides.
For Uber, the rise of autonomous vehicles presents both an opportunity and a threat. The company’s traditional model depends on connecting passengers with human drivers, while a large-scale robotaxi industry could reduce the importance of the driver network and change the economics of ride-hailing.
Uber is therefore seeking to position itself on the other side of that transition by becoming a major platform for autonomous rides rather than being displaced by companies that own or operate driverless fleets.
The company disclosed that it had reached out to active drivers to extend “a token of our appreciation” as they transition following the discontinuation of its services.
Uber did not disclose the number of employees, drivers or riders affected by the decision, saying it would continue to engage those affected civilly and respectfully and support them during this transition period.
The exit will also affect corporate customers using Uber for Business in Nigeria and Uganda, as the company said its Uber for Business services in the affected markets would also be discontinued as part of the broader exit.
