Dear CIG Team / LagRide Management Team,
Thank you for acknowledging that some concerns have been addressed and for your continued efforts toward improvement. However, we must draw your attention to the persistent frustrations and operational challenges being faced by our members across various parts of Lagos.
How can captains make consistent progress when the LagRide app still fails to function optimally? Captains in areas such as Ikorodu, Badagry, Igando, Abule Egba, Alagbado, Epe, and other outskirts are often unable to receive trip requests-especially in the mornings or even during the day-unless they relocate to the Island, Ikeja, or central parts of Lagos. Many commuters in these areas have already turned to alternative modes of transportation due to the inefficiencies that have existed since the service’s inception.
It is deeply concerning that a project of this scale was launched without comprehensive market research, advertisement, or visibility studies. The ongoing struggles suggest a lack of understanding of the gig economy and the realities of the e-hailing industry. Instead of addressing these systemic issues, undue blame continues to be placed on hardworking captains who are striving to meet asset repayment obligations and support their families.
Expecting captains to remain exclusively on the LagRide app without receiving trip requests for hours, while providing no incentives or meaningful improvements, is unsustainable. Promised features such as daily remittance visibility and in-app asset repayment tracking remain unfulfilled. Despite undergoing the mandatory four-day training program, most commitments made during that period have not been honoured.
See also: “It is criminal to accept outside-app rides”- CIG warns LagRide drivers amid protests
The app’s limited visibility across Lagos further compounds these issues. We strongly urge your team to initiate a comprehensive, state-wide public awareness and advertising campaign. Without this, low user engagement will persist, not due to lack of interest, but due to inadequate reach and public awareness.
Moreover, captains have borne the costs of vehicle repairs, maintenance, and insurance for over two years, despite having paid these fees to Ibile Holdings. In the event of accidents, there has been no access to the insurance we have consistently paid for. This situation has veered far from empowerment and now appears exploitative, under the guise of a technology-driven development initiative.
We are also concerned about the app’s current data and user policy framework, which seems to reflect principles of China’s Cybersecurity Law. This approach mandates extensive identity collection and surveillance practices that do not align with Nigeria’s labour and data protection standards.
As a sovereign nation, Nigeria is governed by the NIMC Act and the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), which provide distinct legal protections. Enforcing foreign data frameworks on Nigerian workers constitutes a breach of our sovereignty and undermines our national legal structures.
We respectfully call on the CIG and LagRide management to take the following actions:
Review and revise the app’s data and user policy to reflect Nigerian labour laws and data protection regulations, not foreign cybersecurity policies incompatible with our national framework.
Given the gravity of these issues, we strongly recommend a collaborative return to the drawing board. Let us redesign this initiative together to truly serve the needs of both captains and the broader public, ensuring the long-term sustainability and success of the LagRide scheme.
Ensure that the LagRide app operates efficiently across all regions of Lagos.
Launch a sustained and robust advertising campaign to improve service visibility and adoption.
Expand app coverage to the boundaries of Lagos and underserved communities.
Implement previously promised incentives to captains to encourage continued participation and improve service delivery.
Provide full transparency and access to insurance, vehicle maintenance, and asset repayment tracking through the app.
Immediately switch to daily payments as originally agreed, instead of the current twice-weekly disbursements, which violate the agreement made with the NLC/AUATON.
Sincerely,
Steven Iwindoye
Public Relations Officer
Lagos State
Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria
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