After a year of operating in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, HerRyde, a ride-hailing platform exclusively for women, has decided to temporarily pause its services, known as “hibernation,” to refine its strategies and secure funding in preparation for an upcoming relaunch, Benjamindada reported.
Motivated by a shared desire to create safer transportation options, Oluwafuyi, along with her friends and tech enthusiasts Muhammad Muazu and Kamaldeen Ibrahim, launched HerRyde in August 2022. Their vision was fueled by personal experiences of harassment and a tragic loss suffered by Oluwafuyi.
HerRyde introduced a unique approach, prioritizing passenger safety by connecting women riders with carefully vetted women drivers.
Additional safety features such as real-time ride tracking and an SOS button were incorporated to provide passengers with added peace of mind. Moreover, HerRyde aimed to empower women by offering new job opportunities in the male-dominated ride-hailing industry.
Despite facing challenges, including societal biases against women drivers, HerRyde managed to facilitate over 2,000 rides for more than 500 passengers and onboarded a network of 200 registered women drivers in Abuja alone.
Plans were underway to expand operations to Lagos, with a significant waitlist of 300 female drivers eager to join.
However, in October 2023, HerRyde unexpectedly decided to pause its operations after a year of operation. According to Oluwafuyi, this decision was made to reassess and improve their business model.
Although specific challenges were not disclosed, Oluwafuyi emphasized the importance of revising strategies and securing additional funding.
This temporary halt does not signify the end for HerRyde. Oluwafuyi revealed that they are actively communicating with their network of drivers and exploring investment opportunities for a potential relaunch in the near future. Despite stepping down as CEO in March 2024, Oluwafuyi remains committed to the business’s success.
While the future direction of HerRyde remains uncertain, Oluwafuyi reiterated its dedication to serving a significant market need and addressing women’s safety concerns.
Although initially launched in Abuja due to regulatory advantages, HerRyde’s return may coincide with a more robust regulatory framework as safety concerns in the ride-hailing industry gain attention.
