FAAN DENIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR UBER’S EXIT FROM NIGERIA. (PHOTO).

FAAN Denies Responsibility for Uber’s Exit from Nigeria

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has denied claims that it was responsible for Uber’s decision to discontinue its ride-hailing operations in Nigeria.

FAAN Managing Director, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, made the clarification on Friday, saying Uber’s exit was based on the company’s own economic and regulatory considerations.

Kuku said FAAN had no role in the decision, adding that the authority’s primary responsibility was to ensure passenger safety and provide a seamless travel experience at Nigerian airports.

“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 boss, however, disclosed that the authority had received numerous complaints from passengers, particularly during the December holiday period, over the conduct of some e-hailing and car-hire services operating around airports.

According to her, the complaints included alleged intimidation, excessive charges and instances where passengers were taken to destinations other than those they had requested.

She also revealed that FAAN had disagreements with some e-hailing companies over liability concerns and the management of dedicated pickup zones at airports.

Kuku said although FAAN agreed to provide dedicated pickup areas for e-hailing services, it expected the companies to take responsibility for the conduct of drivers operating on 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 further explained that FAAN introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS) to improve visibility and accountability within airport transportation services.

She stressed that FAAN does not collect money on behalf of drivers and does not determine whether passengers use e-hailing platforms or airport car-hire operators.

“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.