The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, has said FAAN played no role in Uber’s decision to withdraw from Nigeria, stressing that the agency’s actions were motivated by concerns over passenger safety, accountability and the need to tackle touting at airports.
Speaking with journalists at the airport on Friday, Kuku said Uber’s decision to exit the Nigerian market was entirely a matter for the company.
She maintained that FAAN’s primary responsibility was to protect passengers, ensure accountability and provide travellers with a safe and seamless airport experience.
FAAN weeks ago temporarily suspended commercial pick-ups by e-hailing drivers at its airports, pending the conclusion and execution of the required licence agreements.
The decision fuelled speculation that the authority was seeking to restrict other e-hailing operators and give an advantage to its newly introduced airport e-hailing platform, ACHRAMS.
Kuku said, “I work for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and my first responsibility is to ensure that our passengers are safe, protected, and have a seamless passenger experience.
“Regarding Uber, I can’t speak to their exit from Nigeria. I’m sure they have their own economic and regulatory considerations as to why they chose to exit.”
She explained that FAAN’s intervention was triggered by complaints from passengers, especially during the December festive period, who reported unpleasant experiences with some e-hailing and car-hire operators operating at the airports.
Kuku added, “We received a lot of complaints, especially around the December holiday period, from passengers who used some of the e-hailing services, as well as car-hire services, and had very unpleasant experiences.”
She said the complaints included cases of passenger intimidation and travellers being dropped off at locations different from their intended destinations, while some incidents were reportedly more serious.
The FAAN chief also alleged that some drivers affiliated with e-hailing platforms had exploited the airport system by falsely presenting themselves as authorised e-hailing operators, before moving to car-hire services and charging passengers inflated fares.
According to her, the complaints, coupled with persistent concerns over touting at airports, compelled FAAN to establish regulatory oversight for car-hire operators to strengthen accountability and protect passengers.
Kuku said the development, combined with complaints about touting at the airports, prompted FAAN to introduce regulatory oversight for car-hire operators.
“We also had situations where some Uber and Bolt drivers would get out of their cars under the guise of coming into the airport as e-hailing drivers, and then join the car-hire operators to charge higher fares.
“Because there were widespread complaints about touting at the airport, it was important for us to provide some form of regulatory oversight for the car-hire operators,” she maintained.
