Ice Prince Zamani is "Rider Zero" for Uber as it launches in Lagos

As with the Uber tradition of choosing a famous person as its “Rider Zero”, Ice Prince Zamani has been unveiled as the Uber personality for Lagos, Nigeria. This signifies that Uber is now officially in Nigeria. Uber makes mobile apps that connect passengers with drivers of vehicles for hire and ridesharing services. Unlike taxis, drivers function as independent contractors, using their own cars. This venture-funded startup and transportation network company is based in San Francisco, California.

Uber is currently in the testing phase and it says that car availability will be limited & primarily focused on ‘The Island’ & the surrounding neighbourhoods. For the uninitiated, simply:

1. Download the Uber App to your iPhone or Android device.
2. Register with your debit or credit card.
3. Request, ride and experience the magic happen.
4. Enter the promo code LAUNCHLAGOS to get NGN2000 off your first ride!

From the company’s blog, it however states that it is looking for a General Manager, Operations Manager and Community Manager to build Uber Lagos from scratch. One wonders if Uber will be able to deal with the epic traffic jams in Lagos. I wonder if the company will encounter any resistance as was reported recently when it began operations in Europe.

Related

Uber raises $1.2billion for Asia Pacific expansion

Uber, the San Francisco-based transportation and ride sharing startup, has raised another $1.2 billion at a valuation of $40 billion. It announced that this financing was for Uber to make substantial investments, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. Uber is currently in over 250 cities in 50 countries, 6 times…

December 5, 2014

In "Business"

Uber Launches “Emergency Feature” in Nigeria to Enhance Rider Safety

Uber Nigeria has launched two important features on its app that will help users feel less frightened whenever they're on a ride to their destinations. The ride-hailing service made the announcements today at an event held in Lagos on Thursday, July 13th, 2023. Innovation Village was present as a media…

July 13, 2023

In "Innovation"

Uber Agrees to Share Trip Data with Lagos Government, Addressing Rider Privacy Concerns

Ride-hailing giant Uber has reached an agreement with the Lagos State Government to share trip data, following a period of tension that included impounding of drivers' vehicles and threats of sanctions. The crux of the issue was the type of data Uber would share. Riders were concerned that their personal…

March 29, 2024

In "Data Protection"