When emergencies happen in Nigeria, people often rush to social media to warn others. Three young founders believe that isn’t enough. Their startup, Wahala App, wants to become a dedicated platform for reporting crime, accidents, floods and other public safety incidents as they happen.
Three Nigerian entrepreneurs have launched Wahala App, a mobile and web platform that lets users report and receive real-time alerts about public safety incidents across the country. The startup was founded by Oriekaose Agholor, Adetunji Adewoye and Kosi Kabiri. They officially launched the platform in April 2026 after spending years developing the idea.
The founders believe Nigerians already use social media as an emergency alert system. People often post about robberies, flooding, traffic accidents, election violence and building collapses online. Wahala App aims to organise that information into a dedicated platform designed specifically for public safety.
Users can report incidents by uploading photos, videos and descriptions. Each report appears on a live map that displays nearby incidents. Users can also filter reports by distance or time to monitor events within their neighbourhood or across the country.
The platform combines community reporting with artificial intelligence. Its in-house Wahala AI scans trusted Nigerian news sources for verified incidents and automatically adds them to the map. AI-generated reports include links to their original sources so users can verify the information themselves.
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The founders also built a verification system to improve accuracy. Users can confirm, dispute or update reports submitted by others. The app then uses a consensus-based algorithm to adjust the severity of each incident as more people contribute information.
Wahala App includes an emergency feature as well. Users can activate an SOS alert to notify pre-selected emergency contacts and quickly call emergency services. The team plans to expand the feature by adding SMS and phone call notifications in future updates.
The app is free for individuals. Instead of charging users, the founders plan to generate revenue through partnerships with estates, community associations, security organisations, emergency responders and government agencies that want to improve incident reporting and response.
Since launching in April, the platform has attracted more than 100 users. The founders hope it will eventually help citizens report election violence, infrastructure failures and other emergencies while providing authorities with better real-time information. The idea behind Wahala App grew from personal experience.
Chief Executive Officer Oriekaose Agholor said childhood experiences with delayed emergency responses and years of watching insecurity dominate national headlines convinced him that communities needed a faster way to share safety information. Changing people’s habits may be the startup’s biggest challenge.
Many Nigerians instinctively turn to social media during emergencies. Convincing them to adopt a dedicated public safety platform will take time, trust and consistent results.
If Wahala App succeeds, it could change how communities respond to emergencies. The platform is betting that faster information, verified by the people closest to an incident, can help save lives before official responders arrive.
About the Author
Marcel Chidozie is a tech analyst and writer covering foreign news, fintech, and emerging technologies at TechRegard. Based in Nigeria, He's passionate about translating complex tech developments into compelling, accessible stories for diverse audiences. His work focuses on how technology shapes innovation across Africa and globally.
