Moove is quitting Nigeria because the loss of Uber, the principal platform behind its Nigerian model, left the business unable to sustain its operations in the market, Ladi Delano, the company’s co-founder and co-CEO, said.
Delano described Uber as the platform that supported Moove’s Nigerian model at scale, and said its departure materially changed the operating environment in Nigeria. Moove assessed the alternatives and the economics of continuing and concluded it could not sustain its Nigerian operating model.
To manage the exit, Moove is bringing forward vehicle ownership through its Thank You Nigeria initiative. Remaining scheduled vehicle payments from October 1, 2026 are waived for eligible mobility entrepreneurs, and ownership of the vehicles transfers to them.
In this exclusive interview, Delano discusses how the company intends to achieve this initiative as BusinessDay’s Wasiu Alli, Chinwe Michael & Juliet Onyema bring excerpts.
Moove has announced that it will conclude its operations in Nigeria. What led to this decision?
This is an emotional moment for Jide and me. Nigeria gave Moove its beginning, and we will always be grateful for that.
We started with 76 vehicles in Lagos and a belief that hardworking Nigerian mobility entrepreneurs deserved access to the vehicles and finance they needed to build their businesses. Our earliest mobility entrepreneurs trusted us when we were still finding our feet. Our Nigerian colleagues helped us turn that trust into a business that could grow internationally. Thanks to this, we have now successfully scaled our business to over 42,000 cars across 29 global cities and are now one of the largest ride-hail fleets in the world, and for this we are extremely thankful.
Unfortunately, Uber’s departure materially changed the operating environment in Nigeria. We assessed the alternatives and the economics of continuing, and concluded that we could not sustain our Nigerian operating model. That was our decision, and we take responsibility for it.
What matters deeply to us now is how we manage this transition. Through Thank You Nigeria, we are bringing forward vehicle ownership for all eligible customers, subject to settling outstanding remittances up until Oct 1st 2026 and completing the transfer process. We want those vehicles to continue supporting livelihoods and families long after this chapter of Moove’s operations concludes.
How did Uber’s departure affect Moove’s operations in Nigeria?
Uber was the principal platform supporting our Nigerian model at scale, so its departure had a significant effect on the business.
However, after reviewing all available options to us, we concluded that we could not continue to operate in Nigeria. We understand the disappointment this creates, especially among our thousands of customers and colleagues who have been part of our Nigerian journey.
What does Moove’s exit mean for mobility entrepreneurs who obtained vehicles through Moove?
As we conclude our operations, we are introducing the Thank You Nigeria initiative, through which we will transfer ownership “free of charge” to all eligible customers who operate them.
This is deeply personal for Jide and me. Our customers trusted us, worked hard and helped build Moove from its earliest days in Lagos into a global business. We want to recognise that contribution by bringing forward their opportunity to own their vehicles and continue building their livelihoods at no cost.
