Stories by Olabisi Olaleye
While reiterating its commitment in creating economic opportunities for Nigerians through technology, Uber, through its West Africa region’s general manager, Lola Kassim, has disclosed that Uber has 267,000 riders who actively use the app, and 7,000 driver-partners.
Speaking during a media chat tagged “Meet and Greet Lola” in Lagos at the weekend, Kassim said, “In Ghana, there are 140,000 active riders and 3,000 drivers signed up to use the app. The steadily growing number of Uber driver-partners in countries across the region is testament to the appeal of the model, because it creates real opportunities for local entrepreneurs. And as demand for rides also grows, so does the demand for driver-partners.”
The general manager further stated that, with technology at its core, Uber also invests in supporting its driver-partners in their businesses through ongoing innovation as well as presence in the form of support centres known as the Greenlight Hubs. Apart from the Greenlight Hubs across sub-Saharan Africa, five more of these state-of-the-art hubs were opened in Lagos, Kumasi, Dar Es Salaam, Nairobi and Kampala this year and, in addition to offering driver-partners technical and app support, they also offer information sessions and tailored workshops to driver-partners, focusing on training and skills development.
In a move to further re-iterate its commitment to Nigerian driver-partners, Uber recently rolled out a number of powerful features that have made it even easier for driver-partners to choose when, where, and how they drive. Uber also recently increased fares. The new fare structure ensures that time spent in traffic is accounted for, providing driver-partners and riders with a more reliable experience.
She maintained that Uber would continually create economic opportunities for driver-partners through technology remains one of its key priorities for West Africa for the rest of 2017, and in the forthcoming year.
“Uber’s business partnership approach provides an accessible means for driver-partners to not only supplement their own income, but also to become small business owners, thereby helping to improve the lives and futures of individuals, families and communities,” she said.
