The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has denied having any role in Uber’s decision to discontinue its ride hailing operations in Nigeria.
FAAN Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, made the clarification on Friday while responding to questions about the authority’s disputes with e hailing and airport car hire companies.
Kuku said Uber’s decision to leave the Nigerian market was based on the company’s own economic and regulatory considerations.
“I can’t speak to Uber’s exit from Nigeria. I am sure they have their own economic and regulatory decisions as to why they chose to exit,” she said.
The FAAN chief explained that the authority’s primary responsibility was to ensure passenger safety and provide a seamless experience for travellers using Nigerian airports.
She disclosed that FAAN had received several complaints from passengers, particularly during the December holiday period, over the conduct of some e hailing and car hire operators.
According to her, the complaints included alleged intimidation, excessive charges and instances where passengers were taken to destinations different from those they requested.
Kuku said FAAN also had disagreements with some e hailing companies over liability and the management of designated pickup areas at airports.
She explained that while FAAN agreed to provide dedicated pickup zones for e hailing operators, the authority insisted that the companies should accept responsibility for the conduct of drivers operating through their platforms.
“One of the things we struggled with was liability. They wanted dedicated pickup zones, which we agreed to, but when it came to taking responsibility for drivers, they maintained that the drivers were independent contractors and not employees of Uber.
“That created a major concern for us because of the safety issues being reported by passengers,” she stated.
Kuku said FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, ACHRAMS, to improve visibility and accountability among transportation operators working within airport premises.
She stressed that FAAN does not collect money on behalf of drivers and does not determine whether passengers should use e hailing platforms or airport car hire services.
“The choice remains with the passenger. Our responsibility is simply to ensure that those operating within the airport environment can be identified and monitored for safety purposes,” she added.
