Uber Announces New Safety, Mobility Features For Nigeria

Ride-hailing company Uber has introduced a number of new services, improvements, and features geared toward delivery, travel, and safety throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria.

Kagiso Khaole, general manager of Uber Sub-Saharan Africa, made the announcement at a virtual press conference organised from the company's office in South Africa.

He said the new features were the result of Uber's goal "to move more people and goods to more cities, innovate new features and products, raise the bar on safety, explore categories beyond the food category, and grow to earn opportunities."

He claims that Uber now serves 11 cities in Nigeria and 18 cities throughout West Africa after expanding to Owerri and Akure.

“These expansions signal more access to earning opportunities for drivers and affordable, convenient, and reliable mobility solutions for riders, at the tap of a button”, he said.

He said that Uber is launching UberX Saver in Port Harcourt and that the new product developments will help riders save money and make hiring drivers more popular.

By increasing the likelihood of rides even during off-peak hours, UberX Saver gives drivers a way to increase their earnings without having to cease driving during less busy times.

Uber announced that users in Port Harcourt and Ibadan will soon be able to send packages and goods from one consumer or small business to another.

This follows the successful rollout of Uber Connect in other markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Lagos, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa.

Tope Akinwumi, Uber's country manager in Nigeria, stated: "We are committed to Nigeria, which is a vital contributor to the growth of our business in Sub-Saharan Africa.

"We have a strong interest in facilitating easy transportation, city exploration, and driving chances.

"Uber continuously raises the bar for safety as more people adopt ridesharing as a way of life.

"To that end, it offers a number of features that make use of cutting-edge smartphone technology.

"These features help to make both drivers and passengers feel secure.

"Uber and Sety are collaborating to offer users emergency support while they are travelling.

"Using a connected device, drivers and passengers will be able to contact the closest vetted private security response unit.

“Our commitment to safety goes beyond the app.

"This is the reason we have partnered with Sety to provide on-demand security and medical responses”, he said.

In response to inquiries from the media, Akinwumi revealed that the Uber Waterways ride is scheduled to resume after the test phase is over, adding that higher educational institutions around the city also offer Uber services.

The region-wide rollout of Uber's Safety Check-up will also encourage users to finish their safety profiles by activating and using features like Trusted Contacts, PIN verification, and RideCheck.