The Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has pushed back against inDrive's declaration of a “long-term commitment to Nigeria,” asking the platform to demonstrate that commitment through concrete improvements in drivers' earnings and welfare.

The response, issued in a written statement by the union's Lagos State Public Relations Officer, Comrade Steven Iwindoye, follows inDrive's statement to Technext confirming that it would remain in the country after Uber's exit.

Uber wound down operations in Nigeria and Uganda from 2 September 2026, after more than a decade in the market, citing evolving business priorities across the continent. The exit leaves Bolt and inDrive as the leading international ride-hailing platforms in Nigeria, with Lagos — Africa's most populous city and one of the continent's largest ride-hailing markets — at the centre of competition for drivers and passengers.

AUATON's national leadership had already blamed that exit on what it described as Uber's exploitative model, and warned Bolt and inDrive that they could face the same outcome without genuine collective bargaining with drivers.

What AUATON is asking for

Iwindoye said in the statement that a commitment that does not improve driver welfare is “simply a commitment to the market, not necessarily to the people.”

He said the real indicators of commitment are fair and sustainable fares, improved earnings, transparent commissions, and meaningful driver representation, rather than corporate statements alone.

According to Iwindoye, drivers carry most of the financial burden in the ride-hailing model, paying for fuel, maintenance, insurance, and vehicle depreciation, while platforms retain control over pricing and access to passengers. “A cheap ride for the passenger must not become a poverty ride for the driver,” he said. The complaint lands amid a broader squeeze on Nigerian drivers' operating costs, with fuel prices rising sharply after the removal of petrol subsidies in 2023 and the naira's devaluation inflating the cost of imported parts and maintenance.

Also read: Uber Nigeria's exit: Drivers' union blames exploitative model, warns Bolt, inDrive, others

A warning to the industry

Iwindoye said Uber's exit should serve as a warning to the wider industry, cautioning inDrive and Bolt against assuming that current market position guarantees future driver loyalty.

He called on ride-hailing platforms to engage, listen to, and negotiate with organised drivers “now,” rather than waiting until dissatisfaction becomes difficult to manage. It is not the first time Nigerian authorities have weighed in on platform economics: Lagos State has since 2020 required e-hailing operators to obtain operational permits and levied per-trip levies, and AUATON has been a persistent advocate for drivers in regulatory discussions.

He also described the current platform model as resembling “modern-day economic exploitation.”

Read also: Following Uber Nigeria's exit, Moove permits drivers to operate on Bolt and inDrive

inDrive has told Technext that it charges one of the lowest service fees in the market, at around 10%, and leaves final pricing to be agreed directly between drivers and passengers rather than through an algorithm.

The company operates in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Ibadan, Owerri and Enugu. Iwindoye's statement did not directly challenge that pricing model, but insisted that fairness must be reflected in driver earnings, not only in the structure of the service. Whether inDrive moves to formalise dialogue with AUATON, and whether driver earnings become a measurable part of its Nigeria commitment, are likely to shape how the dispute develops.

The union ended its statement with a direct question to inDrive: “What exactly will your commitment do to put more money in the pockets of Nigerian drivers and give them a more dignified life?”