Global ride-hailing company Uber has rebuffed a suggestion that it failed to comply with a 2020 agreement to share data with the Lagos State government. This agreement requires ride-hailing companies to share users’ travel information by giving the government access to real-time data.
“Immediate corrective action is imperative to rectify Uber non-compliance with the data sharing agreement and the integration of State APIs”, said Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Lagos State Commissioner for Transport.
Citing security concerns, Osiyemi argued that access to travel information was for the “well-being of all residents of Lagos State”.
“In every market we operate in, and Nigeria is no exception, we are committed to complying with regulatory requirements,” an Uber spokesperson told TechCabal via email.
“We have complied with Lagos State regulatory obligations, including an annual fee, a per-trip fee and data sharing requirements,” the same person said.
The 2020 agreement follows months of discussions between ride-hailing companies and the Lagos State government over the need for regulation. These regulations are not unique to Nigeria; in 2016, Uber disclosed that it shared the data of 11.6 million passengers and 600,000 drivers with state and local regulators. The company has previously argued that some of these data points exceed what regulators need to do their jobs.
But it often has little room for maneuver vis-à-vis governments. In 2020, it agreed, alongside other operators in Nigeria, to pay ₦25 million in annual license fees and ₦20 on each trip as road improvement levy.
This was a better result than that achieved by startups like Gokada and ORide, with new regulations banning commercial motorcycles under 200cc on highways, essentially wiping out an entire business segment.
For now, Uber will have to approach the Lagos State government, an area in which it has adequate experience.
“We have been an engaged player in the ride-sharing space in Nigeria for 8 years and we want to continue to raise the bar in the industry when it comes to mobility.”
