In Nigeria’s commercial capital, these drivers are part of the race to dominate ride-hailing in West Africa
LAGOS - Motorcycle taxi companies are expanding in West Africa with backing from investors betting that the meteoric rise of two-wheeled taxi firms in Asia can be replicated in some of the fastest growing countries in the world.
Max.ng co-founder Adetayo Bamiduro said its expansion would be funded by a recent investment round that raised $5 million-$7 million and that it was targeting an accumulated total of 2 million rides by the middle of 2020, up from 200,000 by May. Nigeria has Africa’s biggest economy and largest population while Ghana and Ivory Coast are two of the world’s fastest growing economies, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Besides max.ng, the other three companies offering motorbike taxis in Lagos are Gokada, SafeBoda, which started out in the East African, and ORide. By comparison, about 120 million people live in the East African Community, which is made up of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. “Everybody wants faster movement in Lagos but we’re still afraid of the normal okada. You see some people already drunk, they’re already high, so you can’t control them,” he said, adding that riders working for companies have been trained and are accountable through a ratings and complaints system.
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