Nigeria’s antitrust watchdog has opened an inquiry into Uber Technologies Inc.’s swift departure from the country, zeroing in on whether the mobility giant left local riders and drivers in the lurch with unpaid balances and unfulfilled trips.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said it is examining the sudden nature of the shutdown, which took effect Sept. 2 without advance warning to the public. Officials are “looking into the manner of their exit, particularly in respect of unfulfilled services to the customers,” FCCPC CEO Tunji Bello said in a text message to Bloomberg.

Uber exits Nigeria after strategic review

The move ended a 12-year run in Africa’s most populous nation, alongside a simultaneous withdrawal from Uganda. While Uber’s online support desk will remain accessible through Sept. 23 to settle remaining account claims, the quiet pullout left thousands of daily commuters and gig workers scrambling for alternatives.

Uber offered no clear reason for packing up its local business, saying only that the decision followed a strategic review of its operations. The San Francisco-based company apologized for the disruption to users who relied on the app for daily travel. Globally, the ride-hailing firm has been trimming costs, cutting roughly 3,300 corporate jobs to free up capital for self-driving vehicle investments and higher-margin markets.

When Uber rolled into Lagos in 2014, it was the first major brand to convince Nigerians to hail rides on smartphones instead of flagging down yellow cabs. Within three years, the company counted 267,000 active riders and 7,000 drivers across the country, turning the commercial hub into one of its most visible frontiers in West Africa.

Over time, that early lead evaporated. Rivals like Estonia’s Bolt and bargain-focused inDrive undercut Uber on price and commission fees, setting off a race to the bottom in an economy where disposable income was shrinking fast.

Rising costs, currency woes deepen deficit

At the same time, Nigeria’s economic realities caught up with the app’s balance sheet. Repeated devaluations of the naira, double-digit inflation, and the removal of petrol subsidies drove pump prices up fourfold over the past three years. The surges squeezed drivers on fuel and spare parts, sparking repeated strikes in 2017, 2023, and 2025.

Uber found itself trapped between riders who could not afford higher fares and drivers who could no longer make ends meet on existing rates. Compounded by disputes with Lagos state authorities over vehicle licensing, taxes, and airport pickup fees, running the service turned into an uphill grind. Now, regulators want to know what happens to the money left behind in digital wallets, pending driver incentives, and credits stranded on the app when the lights went out