Ride-hailing company Bolt has recorded a 92 per cent week-on-week increase in driver registrations in Nigeria following Uber’s exit from the country, as drivers look for alternative platforms to continue their businesses.
Bolt, which has operated in Nigeria since 2016, disclosed the increase in an email response to PUNCH Online on Wednesday.
The development comes about two weeks after Uber ended its operations in Nigeria on September 2, bringing its 12-year presence in the country to an end.
Uber’s departure has reshaped the ride-hailing landscape, with drivers and riders seeking alternative platforms amid rising fuel prices, vehicle maintenance costs and other operating expenses.
Bolt, one of Uber’s major competitors in the Nigerian market, appears to have benefited from the shift, recording a sharp increase in interest from drivers seeking to register on the platform.
The Senior General Manager for Bolt West Africa, Teddy Appa-Dankyi, said, “Bolt has recorded a 92 per cent week-on-week increase in driver registrations following Uber’s exit from the Nigerian market.”
He said the increase reflected growing interest from drivers, while assuring that the company would not compromise its safety standards in the process of onboarding new drivers.
“We are encouraged by the strong increase in interest from drivers looking to join Bolt. It shows drivers’ confidence in our platform and the opportunities we provide. However, growth cannot come at the expense of safety,” Appa-Dankyi said.
The company, however, did not disclose the actual number of drivers who registered before and after Uber’s exit, making it difficult to determine the absolute size of the increase.
Bolt said its existing onboarding and safety requirements would remain unchanged despite the surge in applications.
According to Appa-Dankyi, “Every driver who joins Bolt must meet our onboarding and safety requirements, and those standards remain unchanged.”
The company also stated that drivers previously suspended or blocked for serious safety violations, misconduct or other breaches would not automatically regain access to the platform.
Uber’s withdrawal has left other operators in Nigeria’s ride-hailing sector competing for a larger pool of drivers and passengers.
For Bolt, the 92 per cent increase in driver registrations could strengthen its driver network at a time when more drivers and riders are adjusting to the absence of one of the country’s major ride-hailing platforms.
The company said it would continue to invest in its platform and driver community as Nigeria’s mobility sector adjusts to the changing market.