Nigeria’s ride-hailing apps shift focus from speed to safety after 10 years’ growth

After a decade of rapid growth that transformed how millions of Nigerians move around major cities, ride-hailing apps are shifting their focus from speed and convenience to safety, reflecting rising user expectations and the sector’s maturation.

Osi Oguah, the general manager, Bolt Nigeria, told BusinessDay that, “Safety is at the core of everything we do at Bolt. We will continue to invest in technology, partnerships, and awareness to ensure every ride on Bolt is not only affordable and reliable but also safe.”

Ride-hailing services entered Nigeria in 2016, promising a faster and more predictable alternative to traditional taxis. Bolt, which launched that year under the name Taxify, helped popularise app-based transport by allowing users to book rides digitally, track drivers and avoid on-the-spot fare negotiations.

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In the early years, safety features were limited. Knowing a driver’s name, phone number and vehicle details was considered sufficient protection. Platforms were primarily designed to complete trips efficiently, with interventions often occurring only after incidents were reported.

As ride-hailing became embedded in daily life, supporting late-night travel, airport transfers and longer commutes, scrutiny intensified. Concerns over personal security, combined with the scale of adoption in cities such as Lagos and Abuja, pushed platforms to rethink how risk was managed.

By 2026, safety has become a core design principle rather than a secondary feature. Ride-hailing apps now deploy multiple in-app tools aimed at preventing incidents and improving response times, including trip sharing, emergency assistance options, real-time ride monitoring and identity verification systems.

The changes have also influenced rider and driver behaviour. Users increasingly share trip details with trusted contacts and expect greater transparency during journeys, while drivers operate under clearer accountability frameworks supported by digital records.

Despite these developments, challenges persist. Ride-hailing apps continue to operate in an environment shaped by congested roads, infrastructure gaps and broader security risks that technology alone cannot eliminate.

Still, the evolution marks a clear departure from the sector’s early focus. What began in 2016 as a race to move passengers quickly has, after 10 years of growth, become a contest over trust, protection and reliability.

For Nigeria’s ride-hailing users, the shift signals not only how far the industry has come, but how expectations of safety have risen alongside its expansion.

Royal Ibeh is a senior journalist with years of experience reporting on Nigeria’s technology and health sectors. She currently covers the Technology and Health beats for BusinessDay newspaper, where she writes in-depth stories on digital innovation, telecom infrastructure, healthcare systems, and public health policies.

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