Opera has launched a bus-hailing service to ride on its Opay platform and it is called OBus. However it is still in beta stage.
This is yet another service on the Opay platform which further ensures the stickiness of the Opay app. A couple of days ago, it was reported that a tricycle hailing service, OTrike was launched on the platform. OTrike was unveiled in Aba, southeast of Nigeria.
Launched in 2018, Opay recently raised $50 million to strengthen the company’s position in Nigeria, expand to additional African markets and leverage its brand and app into adjacent verticals.
Currently as it is in the beta stage, the service is only available to commuters on certain routes in Lagos, Nigeria (for now, CMS-Ikeja routes). The company is also only using branded “OBus” buses for now. Users will only be able to pay for the ride with funds in the Opay wallet using OBus cards which can be purchased offline from OPay agents at designated bus stations.
The company just celebrated its one year anniversary in Nigeria and it would be instructive to know how well it has done in Nigeria, I mean the numbers.
However, one thing is quite clear, the company is growing rapidly and seems to be trying to copy the model of Wechat in China. Interestingly Wechat did not fare well in Nigeria when it was introduced by Naspers. It was shut down just after a couple of months, maybe due to the fact that it was basically touted as a messaging app in Nigeria. Meanwhile it supports payments in China.
Opay has launched five services (OPay, OBus, ORide, OTrike, and OList) within a year of operation in Nigeria and is likely to add more very soon to ensure customers do almost everything that pertains to financial transactions all from one app – Opay.
