The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, has dismissed claims that the agency’s restrictions on e-hailing operations at Nigerian airports contributed to Uber’s decision to exit the country.
Kuku, who spoke with journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Friday, said Uber’s exit was a business decision based on the company’s own economic and regulatory considerations.
She explained that FAAN’s decision to temporarily restrict commercial pick-ups by e-hailing drivers followed numerous passenger complaints, particularly during the December holiday period, involving intimidation, inappropriate drop-off locations and alleged overcharging.
According to her, some drivers operating through platforms such as Uber and Bolt allegedly posed as legitimate e-hailing operators before joining airport car-hire services to charge passengers higher fares.
Kuku said FAAN introduced its airport e-hailing platform, ACHRAMS, primarily to improve transparency and accountability by allowing passengers to identify the car-hire company and driver transporting them.
She stressed that FAAN does not operate the car-hire services or collect payments from passengers on behalf of drivers. Rather, the authority provides information on indicative fares based on passengers’ destinations.
Addressing the disagreement between FAAN and e-hailing companies, Kuku said liability for drivers was one of the major sticking points. While FAAN agreed to provide dedicated pick-up zones, the authority also wanted e-hailing companies to accept greater responsibility for the conduct and safety of drivers using their platforms.
Kuku maintained that FAAN’s intervention was focused on passenger safety and accountability, not on pushing Uber out of Nigeria.
She added that Uber had reportedly been considering its exit from Nigeria for some time, stressing that airport operations represented only a small part of the company’s wider business activities in the country.
