A story Trevor Noah once shared about Nigerian Uber drivers has resurfaced online, days after Uber announced its decision to end operations in Nigeria after 12 years.

The comedian had previously recounted how some Nigerian drivers allegedly discovered a loophole in an incentive programme Uber was using to attract drivers during its expansion into different markets.

Noah's story has gained fresh attention because of its timing. 

On September 2, 2026, Uber announced that it would stop operating in Nigeria, bringing its 12-year presence in the country to an end. The company entered the Nigerian market in 2014, beginning in Lagos before expanding to other cities.

But long before Uber's exit became news, its early experience with Nigerian drivers had already become one of the more unusual stories surrounding the company's expansion.

According to Trevor Noah, Uber was using generous bonuses to encourage drivers to join its platform and complete rides, particularly around locations such as airports where the company wanted more drivers available.

The idea was to give drivers an additional financial reward and encourage them to complete more trips.

But, according to Noah's account, some Nigerian drivers looked at the numbers differently.

They allegedly realised that the bonus could make a trip profitable even without carrying a genuine passenger. Noah said some drivers began requesting rides for themselves from the airport, driving into the city without picking up a passenger and collecting the incentive attached to the trip.

They could then repeat the process.

In other words, what Uber designed as a way to encourage genuine passenger trips allegedly became, for some drivers, an opportunity to make money from the incentive itself.

Uber was still building its presence in Nigeria at the time.

Noah claimed that the Nigerian drivers exploited the airport bonus so extensively that Uber eventually scrapped the incentive scheme globally.

However, a fact-check by Technext found that the basic story of drivers exploiting Uber's incentive system was credible, but there was not enough evidence to establish that Nigerian drivers alone caused Uber to cancel the programme worldwide. The investigation also noted that Noah did not provide a specific date for when the incident happened.

Uber launched in Nigeria in 2014, initially positioning itself as a premium ride-hailing service in Lagos. Over the years, the company became one of the recognisable names in Nigeria's growing e-hailing industry.

That industry later became increasingly competitive, with companies such as Bolt competing for both drivers and passengers.

Now, 12 years after entering the country, Uber is preparing to leave the Nigerian market.