When Uber launched in Lagos in 2014, drivers like Kayode Olaniyan made as much as ₦300,000 a week. Today, the story is different. Ride-hailing has become a survivalist hustle, with drivers juggling multiple platforms to maximize earnings amid rising fuel costs, high platform commissions, and relentless fare cuts.
Uber, Bolt, inDrive, and Rida all compete on pricing, and sometimes, these strategies to win market share disadvantage drivers, who shoulder the costs of maintaining and fueling their vehicles.
So, which platform pays best? We spoke to six ride-hailing drivers who frequently switch between apps to find out.
Bolt offers the best deal for driver earnings
For Collins and several other drivers who spoke to TechCabal, Bolt offers the best deal. Its commission is as high as Uber’s (25%), but its fares are generally higher. The lowest fare on Uber is 26% less than Bolt, a difference that adds up over multiple trips.
Drivers say Uber has increased its commission to 30% while slashing fares to compete with InDrive. The result? Lower take-home earnings.
“They don’t own the cars, they don’t maintain them, yet they take so much,” Collins said.
InDrive and Rida, on the other hand, allow passengers to negotiate fares, which often forces drivers to accept unreasonably low prices to stay in business. Despite InDrive’s lower 10% commission, many drivers feel it’s a race to the bottom.
“You will see someone order a ride for ₦2,000, and when you arrive, they’re cramming four people into the car,” says Akhigbe, a gig driver. “If each of them took a bike, the total fare would be much higher. Ride-hailing is a luxury service—not everyone needs to afford it.”
Shrinking earnings are compounded by rising fuel prices and vehicle maintenance costs, making platform commissions even more concerning.
The cost of staying on the road
When Tunde, a Lagos-based Uber driver, completes his 16th trip of the day, he tallies his earnings: ₦36,000. But after spending ₦20,000 on fuel and factoring in Uber’s commission, his take-home pay is far less than expected.
“With Bolt, I can make ₦50,000 to ₦60,000 in a day and have more money left,” he says.
But even Bolt’s slightly higher fares aren’t enough for many drivers. Akhigbe recalls that in three months, Bolt deducted ₦900,000 in commissions from his earnings—but he didn’t even have that amount in savings.
“I earned about ₦3 million, but after fuel and maintenance costs, I barely kept anything,” he says.
One major cost driver is fuel. Some ride-hailing drivers spend ₦180,000 per week on fuel alone, plus an additional ₦30,000 for periodic vehicle servicing.
“They should increase the prices. Is it not better for me to do fewer trips and have a good profit than to run around doing so many cheap trips and be left with nothing?” Akhigbe asks.
Another driver who works across multiple platforms told TechCabal that the rising cost of spare parts and oil makes profitability even more difficult, especially for those who lease their cars.
“The car owners keep increasing the weekly payments to make a profit, so drivers end up making even less,” he said.
Olaniyan, the former Uber top earner, now drives a Moove-financed vehicle, which requires him to pay ₦9,400 daily to Moove, plus Uber’s 25% commission. After all deductions, his take-home pay is around ₦15,000 per day.
“If this car were mine, I’d be making a lot more,” he admits.
The weekend hustle is Uber’s edge?
For some, Uber still offers the best earnings—especially on weekends.
Adebayo, an Uber driver who also runs a restaurant, drives only on weekends and says he earns around ₦350,000 every weekend from about 35 trips.
“If I didn’t have my restaurant, I could still afford my annual rent of ₦2.6 million just by driving on Uber every weekend.”
His earnings are significantly boosted because his car is categorized as a “priority car” on Uber, which charges riders 46% more than UberGo, the cheapest option.
Uber also has other pricing tiers—UberX and Uber Comfort—where fares are adjusted based on ride acceptance rates and car quality. A trip from Somolu to Ikeja costs 63% more on Uber Comfort than on UberGo, making car category selection a major factor in driver earnings.
The verdict: which platform pays best?
Bolt driver Akhigbe believes there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
“Every app is different, and the best choice for a driver depends on their personal philosophy, ambitions, education level, and, ultimately, whether they understand that these companies are here to make a profit.”
Conversations with drivers reveal distinct platform preferences:
Bolt: Best overall balance of higher fares and manageable commission.
Uber: Best for weekend drivers and those who can leverage premium car tiers.
InDrive & Rida: Attracts drivers who want high trip volumes but offers the lowest fares.
There is no perfect ride-hailing platform—only trade-offs. Drivers who adapt and switch based on demand stand the best chance of maximizing their earnings.
There is a battle for fares and drivers bear the brunt
Collins, a journalist turn ride-hailing driver, is blunt: “InDrive is ridiculous. A trip that cost ₦40,000 on Uber or Bolt in the past goes for ₦15,000 on InDrive. That amount can’t even cover fuel needed to cover the distance.” InDrive and Rida allow passengers to negotiate fares, which often forces drivers to accept unreasonably low prices. Even with its lower 10% commission, many drivers feel it’s a race to the bottom.
Uber, meanwhile, has steadily increased its commission—now at 30%—while simultaneously slashing fares to compete with Indrive. “They don’t own the cars, they don’t maintain them, yet they take so much,” Collins said. In response, the drivers have protested, some moving to another app like Bolt where the price slash is relatively lower.
For Collins and one other driver who spoke to TechCabal, Bolt offers a middle ground. Its commission is as high as Uber’s, 25% but its fares are generally higher than other platforms. The lowest fare on Uber is 26% less than Bolt, and that can make a huge difference over multiple trips.
Akhigbe argues that the pricing dilemma can be fixed if ride-hailing is seen as a premium service, not a universal necessity. “You will see someone order a ride for ₦2,000, and when you arrive, you realize they’re cramming four people into the car. If each of them took a bike, the total fare would be much higher,” he told TechCabal. “Ride-hailing is a luxury service—not everyone needs to afford it.”
The cost of staying on the road
Rising fuel prices and vehicle maintenance costs are shrinking drivers’ earnings, making platform commissions even more concerning.
When Tunde, a ride-hailing driver in Lagos, completes his 16th trip of the day on Uber, he tallies his earnings: ₦36,000. But after spending ₦20,000 on fuel and factoring in Uber’s commission, he wonders if the effort is worth it. “With Bolt, I can make ₦50,000 to ₦60,000 in a day and have more money left,” he says.
Yet, even Bolt’s higher fares aren’t enough. “Bolt has taken ₦900,000 in commission from me in the past three months, but I don’t have that amount in savings—despite earning about ₦3 million,” Akhagbe, another driver says. He recalls spending ₦180,000 on fuel in one week and doing car servicing that cost him about ₦30,000.
“They should increase the prices. Is it not better for me to do a few trips and have a good sum in profit than to run around doing so many cheap trips and be left with nothing?”
Another driver, who uses Indrive in addition to other apps, told TechCabal that the surging cost of spare parts and oil gnaw on the margins even more. “All of these car-related expenses make it more difficult for drivers who lease cars to do the job, as the car owners handle the maintenance cost and keep increasing the expected weekly payments to make a profit.”
Olaniyan now drives a Moove-financed vehicle, which requires him to pay ₦9,400 daily to Moove, plus Uber’s 25% commission. After all deductions, he takes home around ₦15,000 per day. “If this car were mine, I’d be making a lot more,” he admits.
The weekend hustle
For some, Uber is better than Bolt and Rida, especially during the weekend. Adebayo, an Uber driver who also runs a restaurant, says he drives on weekends. “I make about 35 trips and earn ₦350,000 every weekend,” he says. His car is categorised as a ‘priority car’ on Uber, meaning he charges riders 46% more than UberGo, the cheapest option on Uber.
There are other tiers, Uber X and Uber Comfort—the prices vary according to how likely the driver is to accept a ride request and how comfortable a car is. Uber’s car tiers impact earnings significantly. A ride from Somolu to Ikeja on Comfort costs 63% more than the same trip on UberGo.
He told TechCabal, “If I didn’t have my restaurant, I could still afford my annual rent of ₦2.6 million just by driving on Uber every weekend.”
The verdict: which platform pays best?
Bolt driver Akhigbe believes there is no one-size-fits-all answer. “Every app is different, and the best choice for a driver depends on their personal philosophy, ambitions, education level, and, ultimately, whether they suffer from an inferiority complex and haven’t accepted that these companies are not in the business of solving problems—they exist to make a profit.”
Conversations with all the drivers reveal distinct preferences based on their priorities. Those who value safety and customer support lean toward Uber, while drivers focused on maximizing fares per trip prefer Bolt. Meanwhile, those who prioritize high trip volumes gravitate toward Rida and InDrive.
There is no perfect platform—each driver needs to find satisfaction in their choice while remaining open to switching as their priorities evolve.
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I am the CEO of 9JAGISTLAND.My name is Adedeji Timothy and my co-owner is Oyekola Damilare.This blog is born out of our passion to educating to people in all aspect of internet life.We are enthusiastic about writing posts and articles online.
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