A video of drivers protesting against inDrive and Bolt is trending on X, with one driver demanding that inDrive “pack your load and go” while Bolt “increase your price”. It surfaced on Monday, Oct 12, as e-hailing drivers began an indefinite strike. The clip, posted by Nigeria Stories, had passed 62,000 views at the time of filing this report.
The video shows drivers chanting “inDrive must go” and “enough is enough”. The camera stays mostly on one man, who is not named. He says he is a driver and a father of four.
“Do you want to kill us?”
The man claims he worked from the previous night into Monday and earned ₦60,000 while spending ₦80,000 on fuel. “Nothing to go home with,” he laments.
He puts the blame on the apps’ pricing, not on drivers.
“We did not increase the price of fuel; the government increased the price,” he says.
He also complains of a rate of ₦200 per kilometre, which the e-hailing companies charge, insisting that drivers are not slaves, and tells anyone who cannot afford Uber to “enter Danfo”.
Technext ran a reverse image search on snapshots from the video using TinEye and confirmed that it is genuine and recent. It could not independently verify the man’s identity, his earnings or the rate he cites. It is also unclear whether he belongs to the union behind the strike.
Read also: Few rides, long waiting times on inDrive and Bolt as drivers begin indefinite strike in Lagos
How Nigerians on X reacted
By the time of filing, the post had 940 likes, 212 reposts and 111 replies, and the responses were clearly split.
Some users backed the drivers. Obi of Abuja said the drivers are “really suffering” and that fares should reflect today’s reality. Femi Demo proposed metered pricing, with a charge per kilometre and per minute in slow traffic, so drivers do not lose money in Lagos congestion. Sani-Dauran suggested the apps should cut their commissions from 25 per cent to 10 per cent.
Many others pointed at the government instead. “Hold ur government accountable,” wrote Skymike Crypto, who said the anger was aimed at the wrong target. Temidayo wrote that nobody protested when subsidy was removed, so the drivers should not expect the apps to carry the burden.
A third group focused on the passengers. @Maryeyo asked whether riders were not “in the same economy” as the driver. The Old Protege said that raising fares too aggressively risks losing customers already struggling with the cost of living, while keeping them too low leaves drivers short on fuel and maintenance.
A number of replies also fixated on the number of children the man says he has. Paul War called the video part of a “well-scripted and organised campaign”. Technext found no evidence to support that claim.
The Bolt and inDrive strike behind the video
The Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) began the shutdown of Bolt and inDrive in Lagos on Monday. Riders have reported fewer available cars, waiting times of 16 to 20 minutes and higher fares.
The union is demanding a fare review and a commission cap of 10 per cent, subject to negotiation. It also wants any change to fares or commissions preceded by consultation with drivers.
Bolt has called for dialogue with the union. Its Head of Regulatory and Policy in Africa, Weyinmi Aghadiuno, said the company’s focus is “on listening, understanding the issues and identifying practical ways to strengthen the driver experience.”
The union’s Lagos chairman, Jaiyesimi Azeez, has shown little sign of backing down. “The app companies will no longer determine the price of our service. They are middlemen,” he said.
Read also: Lagos drivers to shut down Bolt and inDrive in October, demand 10% commission, fare restructure
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