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By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A new ride-hailing company known as AfriCar has commenced operations in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State and it intends to expand its services to other neighbouring states in the future.
Speaking at a ceremony to unveil the launch of its services on Thursday, the chief executive of AfriCar, Mr Sahil Vaswani, disclosed that all its cars are assembled in Lagos at Stallion Group’s Von Plant.
According to him, his organisation has partnered with the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) to develop the Bajaj Qute cars used for the new ride-hailing taxi.
“This car is assembled in Nigeria by Nigerians and is environmentally friendly, with 50 per cent lower carbon emissions than the average car,” he said at the event attended by Governor Seyi Makinde and the Minister of Industry, Trades and Investment, Mr Adeniyi Adebayo.
Also speaking at the event, Mr Makinde thanked the company for choosing Ibadan as its first base in ride-hailing service, saying this attests to the business-friendly atmosphere for investors in the state.
He said the introduction of the service into Ibadan was in line with his administration’s goal to invite new investors into the State.
Governor Makinde, who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Mr Segun Ogunwuyi, also said he was delighted to witness another demonstration of his administration’s commitment to make life comfortable for residents of the state.
“I am very delighted to be at the event of today which is a further demonstration of our administration’s commitment to making life comfortable for our people and thereby improving the socio-economic activities of the citizenry and the state at large,” he said.
He noted that transportation is evidently important for economic activity and social life in a state, adding that the current economic status of Oyo State is due to many factors, chief among these factors is the development and continuous improvement of our public transport system.
“The state has witnessed and as a matter of fact still witnessing a tremendous growth in the transport sector since the inception of this administration in the areas of transport infrastructures and procurement of vehicles for mass transit,” he added.
The Governor said as part of his administration’s efforts to improve the transportation sector in the state, he has purchased 109 buses for mass transit tagged Omituntun Bus Mass Transit.
He also said he has constructed four bus terminals at Iwo road, Challenge, and Ojo to ease commuting in the state capital.
Congratulating Stallion Group, owners of AfriCar, the Governor expressed hope that the launch will birth more interesting fruits as the group collaborates with his government for the well-being of the people of Oyo State.
On his part, the Minister appreciated Stallion Group, a home-grown conglomerate, for adding value to the economy of the country for the past 52 years, thanking Mr Makinde for the welcoming environment that has been provided to AfriCar.
He said the firm has the potential to transform the transportation industry in the state, providing both employment opportunities and low-cost rides.
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Aduragbemi Omiyale is a journalist with Business Post Nigeria, who has passion for news writing. In her leisure time, she loves to read.
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Jiji Cars (formerly Cars45), one of the most popular car marketplaces in Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria for buying and selling verified cars, has scooped the Motor Vehicle Dealer of the Year, 2022, just a year and a half, after its acquisition by Jiji, the largest online marketplace in Africa.
The award was presented to Jiji Cars during the Global Top Digitally Fit Awards, which was held at the Movenpick Hotel and Residences, Nairobi. The Global Top Digitally Fit Awards recognizes and rewards companies creating an online impact.
Since its acquisition by Jiji, Jiji Cars (formerly Cars45) has created a new advanced experience for its users. They have continuously offered a new car buying and selling experience, where they can inspect cars on behalf of buyers, making them the safest marketplace to buy cars in Africa. This unparalleled experience has helped their market reach exponentially grow since car sellers and buyers benefit from them by selling and buying their cars faster now than ever before.
They beat all other motor vehicle dealers in Kenya, such as BMW Kenya, Hyundai, Simba Colt Motors, Subaru (K) Ltd, Toyota Kenya, CMC Motors, Nissan Kenya, Jaguar Kenya, Mahindra, Car Soko, DT Dobie, Mobius Motors, Yamaha Motors, Foton East Africa, Tata Africa Holdings, etc., to take home the award for the Best Motor Vehicle Dealers in Kenya.
Kenya Auto Bazaar Association (KABA) reported an increase in the demand for third-generation cars (second-hand cars that have been used locally) amid reduced global production of units and soaring prices. However, buyers are also very concerned about the longevity of vehicles once bought. This is why Jiji Cars offers users detailed inspection reports by 200+ parameters, documentation checks, inspections, and concierge service. They also assist buyers with getting car loans, amongst other benefits.
After receiving the award, Ann Bindi, Head of Operations at Jiji Cars, said, “We are thrilled to receive this award. This shows how we have consistently built a trusted buying and selling experience in autos. We want to thank all our clients who have placed their trust in our marketplace and recognized our efforts to ensure they can safely buy and sell their cars through us.”
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By Adedapo Adesanya
Almost a month after the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) announced the proposed resumption of the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train service, the facility will start running on Monday, December 5, 2022, with only two return services.
The announcement by the Managing Director of the NRC, Mr Fidet Okhiria, said the first train would depart Rigasa train station in Kaduna State to Abuja by 8:00 in the morning while from Abuja, the first train will depart Idu train station to Kaduna State by 9:45 in the morning.
The NRC management also revealed that as part of the new security measures, it is now mandatory for passengers to present their National Identity Number (NIN) and valid boarding ticket before they will be allowed to board.
It also says the purchase of tickets by proxy is only limited to minors and a specified number of adult passengers.
It explained that online and mobile app ticketing would be available from 8:00 in the morning on Sunday, December 4, 2022, while the ticket offices at the train stations will open from 6:30 in the morning on Monday, December 5.
Recall that the NRC suspended the Abuja-Kaduna train service along the route after Boko Haram terrorists attacked a moving passenger train in Kaduna on March 28, 2022.
The insurgents had blown up the rail track and bombed the moving train, killing some and abducting more than 60 passengers. The unprecedented attack attracted international and national outrage.
The terrorists who attacked the Kaduna-bound train released hostages in tranches, with the last release coming on October 5, 2022.
Before the hostages were completely released, distraught family members had protested several times to demand the release of their loved ones.
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By Adedapo Adesanya
Ugandan bike-hailing startup, SafeBoda, has announced that it is exiting Nigeria.
After the Lagos State government banned ride-hailing services from the metropolis, the company forayed into Ibadan in December 2019 but began only operations in March 2020.
This March, the company announced that it had completed over 3 million rides, and 50,000 deliveries with over 10,000 riders and 100,000 passengers.
In just a little over one year since launch, the startup crossed the one million rides milestone, growing at an impressive 150 per cent month-on-month. In another 11 months, it tripled its traction to three million completed rides, cementing its dominant position in the region.
However, due to the reality facing the business now, the organisation wants to leave Africa’s largest economy to focus on bringing the company to profitability by deepening its core transportation offering in Uganda, its largest market.
In a statement, it said Nigeria “in its current state is not economically viable and unfortunately requires significant investment at this challenging time in the global economic landscape.”
This will make Nigeria the second market, but first in West Africa, it is exiting after it left Kenya in November 2020, less than two years after expanding its services to the east African country.
The firm said this was due to the negative effects of COVID-19 on its operations.
It is not clear the next step for its other businesses but in August 2022, SafeBoda announced a car-hailing service, SafeCar, in Kampala and one month after, it also launched in Ibadan, Nigeria.
It was reported that SafeBoda claims its car-hailing business has grown 40 per cent weekly since its launch in early September.
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