₦airaland Forum

Pearl1910:
Ogun will be like Lagos in less than 5yrs.
If I decide to change, Na Jigawa or Bauchi state I go do

ReadaDream:
I do..

dreezy007:
Good afternoon house, after 1 month of car search and several car inspections. I was able to see a Camry 2004 in very good condition almost like tokunbo standard.

So i want to ask anyone using same car here for uber/bolt can you please give an insight is it a good ride for this business, I’m just looking at the 2.4l engine compared to 1.8l Corolla.

I have only been searching for Corolla the past one month till I found this Camry in almost tokunbo standard condition for 5.7m

Obedibombedi:
If you have 5.7 million to invest, leave 2.4L motors.
1.4 - 1.8L should be your aim.

It's the same fares for my 3.5L SUV and 1.8L sedan.
In fact, I'm thinking of going fully electric soonest.

Omoapena:
boss, if you go fully electric, nah to buy land for ikoyi in 2years o with the way you dey hustle.

dreezy007:
Good afternoon house, after 1 month of car search and several car inspections. I was able to see a Camry 2004 in very good condition almost like tokunbo standard.

So i want to ask anyone using same car here for uber/bolt can you please give an insight is it a good ride for this business, I’m just looking at the 2.4l engine compared to 1.8l Corolla.

I have only been searching for Corolla the past one month till I found this Camry in almost tokunbo standard condition for 5.7m

dreezy007:
Thanks for your kind response and advice @obedibombedi

@Dav1002 thank you aswell I appreciate your response.

Please do you have a specific car brand I can look at and for what price bracket, as of Corolla it’s also way over 5m the best one I saw that passed inspection was at 5.5m

ReadaDream:
What will my offense be?.

Kaymaxi2222:
I don't think vio or FRSC can hold him for anything, are you saying If my plate is registered elsewhere I can't drive in Lagos cos there is no way they can know how long I have been in Lagos or I just came in to do something in Lagos

Glithronix:
They can be funny at times.
Well, subsequent renewals would be done in Lagos sha.
Person sha no fit head to the other state because him wan renew him RW.

Much respect, sir.

Omoapena:
lolz🤣🤣

sunnymighty:
Bro. Abeg you have an.idea of the country cost of Tokunbo shock absorber. I don't want to refill again.

sunnymighty:
Bro. Abeg you have an.idea of the country cost of Tokunbo shock absorber. I don't want to refill again.

sunnymighty:
Bro. Abeg you have an.idea of the country cost of Tokunbo shock absorber. I don't want to refill again.

Pearl1910:
Really there is no offense except they know u are doing ehailing with it. In which case, it is hackney permit they will require of u.
The bottleneck has always been from d ehailing coys. But if they no longer request for Lagos roadworthiness certificate to register and drive in Lagos then to hell with Lagos State plate number.
Just look for someone living in one of the remote states, they will register and send all ur documents via waybill, same thing for yearly renewal. U don't need to travel anywhere.

NB: I learnt Abuja also does vehicle inspection like Lagos before Roadworthiness certificate is issued.

sunnymighty:
Bro. Abeg you have an.idea of the country cost of Tokunbo shock absorber. I don't want to refill again.

Glithronix:
Dem say Honda Civic 03 - 07 is the best alternative to Corolla and cheaper.
4m max should get you a perfect civic, I think.


Much respect, boss.

Djdamian:
Hope it's not CBEX

Pearl1910:
On one hand "u are not really bordered about the car, just don't want it to look like you are giving him for free"
On the other hand " 35k a week is childish"

Oga, which one u dey? U want to help ur friend Abi u are looking for plenty money.

Obedibombedi:
If you can afford a brand new OEM, you are better off.
10 years and you won't have issues whatsoever
I'm saving for a set.

Glithronix:
I have no idea of the toks.
Why not just get new ones nah?
I changed all my four absorbers mid last year, all cost 78k (new) + 6k for my mechanic to help add 1inch on all to raise dem up small.
I can't remember how much for each of them, but they totalled 78k sha (all the four).


Much respect, boss.

66forlife:
Hello bro I would like you and your fellow drivers who are on here and are willing to make some extra income aside from e-hauling it’s pretty simple and it’s DIY. If you’re interested let me know. Very important

UrPapa:
both lol
What I’m trying to say is that I was expecting return on ehailing to be be more than 30k a week
Especially with the fact that he was claiming to be able to pay for the car in less than 2yrs

UrPapa:
both lol
What I’m trying to say is that I was expecting return on ehailing to be be more than 30k a week
Especially with the fact that he was claiming to be able to pay for the car in less than 2yrs

Omoapena:
your friend is overzealous and doesn't know the current reality of ehailing..


2years isn't feasible at all, he should calm down and enter the ehailing to understand the current reality of the job before expecting himself to complete the payment under 2years.

Pearl1910:
Do u know how much the car is? Why is 2years not enough to pay for a car?

Omoapena:
I believe it can't be less than 5m, is 5m feasible to complete in less than 2years couple with other expenses?

Omoapena:
your friend is overzealous and doesn't know the current reality of ehailing..


2years isn't feasible at all, he should calm down and enter the ehailing to understand the current reality of the job before expecting himself to complete the payment under 2years.

Barbiturate:
Bombedibomb is making 1 million in a month. That's 12 million in a year. 24 million in 2 years. Why can't he make it in 2 years? By your own 56k weekly, he will make it in 2 years. Cut the guy some slack biko 😊
The hustle is VERY profitable now, more than ever 😊

Omoapena:
lolz,

1. it can't be less than 5m isn't 5m, just an assumption which it's definitely going to be more than that.

2. for a newbie, it will be difficult to adjust to the understanding of the hustle before he will be able to find it profitable

3. this is HP which means all maintenance on him, and that's more expenses including his personal expenses.

4. the person making 1m monthly is a pro and that's not his entire take home.

Godfather10:
Thank you for your great analysis. I am new, I haven’t even registered on any of these platforms. But I have just purchased a 2010 Toyota Corolla LE. please my experience my experienced people advise me, I am open med to advise and instructions o.





Lagos drivers reveal the most profitable ride-hailing apps
By
Ngozi Chukwu
Feb 28, 2025
Ride-hailing driver HMO
An Uber driver in a Car | Thibault Penin / Unsplash
When Uber launched in Lagos in 2014, drivers like Kayode Olaniyan made as much as ₦300,000 a week. Today, the story is different. Ride-hailing has become a survivalist hustle, with drivers juggling multiple platforms to maximize earnings amid rising fuel costs, high platform commissions, and relentless fare cuts.

Uber, Bolt, inDrive, and Rida all compete on pricing, and sometimes, these strategies to win market share disadvantage drivers, who shoulder the costs of maintaining and fueling their vehicles.

So, which platform pays best? We spoke to six ride-hailing drivers who frequently switch between apps to find out.

Bolt offers the best deal for driver earnings

For Collins and several other drivers who spoke to TechCabal, Bolt offers the best deal. Its commission is as high as Uber’s (25%), but its fares are generally higher. The lowest fare on Uber is 26% less than Bolt, a difference that adds up over multiple trips.

Drivers say Uber has increased its commission to 30% while slashing fares to compete with InDrive. The result? Lower take-home earnings.

“They don’t own the cars, they don’t maintain them, yet they take so much,” Collins said.

InDrive and Rida, on the other hand, allow passengers to negotiate fares, which often forces drivers to accept unreasonably low prices to stay in business. Despite InDrive’s lower 10% commission, many drivers feel it’s a race to the bottom.

“You will see someone order a ride for ₦2,000, and when you arrive, they’re cramming four people into the car,” says Akhigbe, a gig driver. “If each of them took a bike, the total fare would be much higher. Ride-hailing is a luxury service—not everyone needs to afford it.”

Shrinking earnings are compounded by rising fuel prices and vehicle maintenance costs, making platform commissions even more concerning.

The cost of staying on the road

When Tunde, a Lagos-based Uber driver, completes his 16th trip of the day, he tallies his earnings: ₦36,000. But after spending ₦20,000 on fuel and factoring in Uber’s commission, his take-home pay is far less than expected.

“With Bolt, I can make ₦50,000 to ₦60,000 in a day and have more money left,” he says.

But even Bolt’s slightly higher fares aren’t enough for many drivers. Akhigbe recalls that in three months, Bolt deducted ₦900,000 in commissions from his earnings—but he didn’t even have that amount in savings.

“I earned about ₦3 million, but after fuel and maintenance costs, I barely kept anything,” he says.

One major cost driver incur is fuel. Some ride-hailing drivers spend ₦180,000 per week on fuel alone, plus an additional ₦30,000 for periodic vehicle servicing.

“They should increase the prices. Is it not better for me to do fewer trips and have a good profit than to run around doing so many cheap trips and be left with nothing?” Akhigbe asks.

Another driver who works across multiple platforms told TechCabal that the rising cost of spare parts and oil makes profitability even more difficult, especially for those who lease their cars.

“The car owners keep increasing the weekly payments to make a profit, so drivers end up making even less,” he said.

Olaniyan, the former Uber top earner, now drives a Moove-financed vehicle, which requires him to pay ₦9,400 daily to Moove, plus Uber’s 25% commission. After all deductions, his take-home pay is around ₦15,000 per day.
“If this car were mine, I’d be making a lot more,” he admits.
The weekend hustle is Uber’s edge?
For some, Uber still offers the best earnings—especially on weekends.
Adebayo, an Uber driver who also runs a restaurant, drives only on weekends and says he earns around ₦350,000 every weekend from about 35 trips.

“If I didn’t have my restaurant, I could still afford my annual rent of ₦2.6 million just by driving on Uber every weekend.”
His earnings are significantly boosted because his car is categorized as a “priority car” on Uber, which charges riders 46% more than UberGo, the cheapest option.
Uber also has other pricing tiers—UberX and Uber Comfort—where fares are adjusted based on ride acceptance rates and car quality. A trip from Somolu to Ikeja costs 63% more on Uber Comfort than on UberGo, making car category selection a major factor in driver earnings.

The verdict: which platform pays best?
Bolt driver Akhigbe believes there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
“Every app is different, and the best choice for a driver depends on their personal philosophy, ambitions, education level, and, ultimately, whether they understand that these companies are here to make a profit.”

Conversations with drivers reveal distinct platform preferences:
Bolt: Best overall balance of higher fares and manageable commission.
Uber: Best for weekend drivers and those who can leverage premium car tiers.

InDrive & Rida: Attracts drivers who want high trip volumes but offers the lowest fares.
There is no perfect ride-hailing platform—only trade-offs. Drivers who adapt and switch based on demand stand the best chance of maximizing their earnings.