Ride-hailing company Yango has explained why it is yet to launch its services in Nigeria, despite committing $150 million to expand its operations across Africa.
The company’s Head of Ride-hailing Operations in Africa, Shashi Singh, said Yango was unwilling to enter the Nigerian market without a distinct value proposition, given the presence of established players already serving the country’s e-hailing needs.
Singh disclosed this in an interview with Technext on the sidelines of the Moonshot by TechCabal event, explaining that the company’s business model was designed to deliver long-term benefits to drivers and fleet operators rather than compete through short-term price cuts.
According to him, Yango operates a fleet partner model in which fleet management companies act as intermediaries between the platform and drivers. The partners aggregate drivers, provide vehicles, manage their operations and share revenue generated through the service.
He said the model helps drivers digitise their operations while creating opportunities for fleet operators to build sustainable businesses and accumulate long-term wealth.
However, Singh argued that replicating the model in Nigeria would be difficult because the market already has several ride-hailing companies offering services to passengers and drivers through different arrangements.
“In the smaller markets, you have the same problem that you have here (Nigeria), but you have nobody serving them. Here, you already have people serving them. So what is the value proposition that you are going to bring to the table?” he said.
He added that entering Nigeria merely to attract customers with discounts would not provide a sustainable competitive advantage.
“For a user, you’re just another kind of platform. What kind of value can you bring to them? You cannot bring them short-term value. The only short-term value that you’re going to bring to them is essentially deep discounting. You know that deep discounting is not a real value proposition,” Singh said.
The executive explained that Yango’s approach requires sustained investment in fleet operators, enabling them to generate enough revenue to maintain and replace vehicles while growing businesses that can survive in the long term.
He said the company would be more interested in entering markets where it could address an unmet need rather than compete in an already crowded sector without offering something different.
“If nobody was serving, I would have been happy to come and kind of solve that problem. But there are so many people already solving the problem, so what additional value am I going to bring in?” he said.
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Despite ruling out an immediate launch, Singh said Nigeria remained a market the company could explore through strategic partnerships.
He explained that Yango would consider working with local partners if they could help establish a model capable of delivering value to drivers, fleet operators and passengers.
“If there is a way to solve the problem and there is like a path in which there is a value proposition that I can bring, then there’s a possibility. There are ways in which they can be done through strategic partnerships,” he said.
Singh identified taxi unions as potential partners, noting that the company already works with such organisations in several markets where it operates.
According to him, partnering with taxi unions makes it easier to bring drivers together because the organisations already have established networks and members interested in growing their businesses.
He said Yango’s approach was to work with the unions rather than engage in disputes with them, offering them opportunities to become fleet partners on its platform.
“We are the first ones that will always go to the union saying, ‘Become our taxi partner, and you can earn good money’. And that’s how we actually bring a value proposition,” he said.
Yango launched its ride-hailing service in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in October 2018 and has since expanded into more than 35 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.
Africa remains its largest regional market, with operations in 15 countries, including Ghana, Senegal, Benin and Mauritania.
In October 2026, the company announced a $150 million investment to support its expansion across Africa, with a focus on West and Central African markets.
It is also exploring opportunities in smaller southern African markets, including Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
