Drivers working with ride-hailing platforms Uber and Bolt in Nigeria’s Edo State will begin a seven-day strike on March 26, protesting what they describe as unsustainable income amid rising operating costs, a union statement said.
The action, organized by the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), will see drivers suspend services across Benin City and surrounding areas until April 1.
According to the union, drivers have engaged repeatedly with the platforms seeking fare adjustments to reflect higher fuel prices, vehicle maintenance costs and broader inflationary pressures, but said those efforts have not resulted in meaningful changes.
“As responsible individuals with families and obligations, e-hailing drivers cannot continue to operate under conditions that are no longer sustainable,” the statement said.
Fuel costs account for a significant share of operating expenses for drivers, and recent increases have further strained earnings in a sector where pricing is largely determined by platform algorithms rather than individual drivers.
The union said the strike aims to push Uber, Bolt and other platforms to enter negotiations over fare structures and compensation models, adding that monitoring teams would be deployed to ensure compliance among drivers.
Ride-hailing services have expanded rapidly across Nigeria’s urban centres in recent years, but disputes over commissions, pricing transparency and driver earnings have periodically triggered protests and work stoppages.
Just last week, their Lagos counterparts were on a 3-day strike impacting operations in Africa’s most populous city.