As part of its expansion drive, ride-hailing service, Taxify is extending its Nigerian operations to its fifth city, Benin in Edo State.

The announcement continues Taxify’s recent expansion across Nigeria, following launches in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri and Ibadan.

The ride hailing service in statement, said in June that it had completed an investment round of $175 million, and that it intended to use this investment to expand its services worldwide – particularly across Africa.

Speaking on the expansion, Country Manager for Taxify in Nigeria, Uche Okafor, said: “Adding a new city to our Nigerian network emphasizes our continued focus on launching ride-hailing services in more towns and cities across the country, outside of the obvious main centres.
“What this expansion means for us is that more riders can enjoy the safety and convenience of the service, but more importantly, more Nigerians have access to earning a decent living by joining the platform as drivers,” he said.

Having started operations in Nigeria with its first city launched in November, 2016 in Lagos, the ride-hailing service has grown exponentially year on year. Taxify will now operate in 5 cities across the country, and is available in more Nigerian urban centres than any other ride-hailing platform.

One of Taxify’s key success factors in its rapid expansion has been the fact that drivers utilising its platform receive 85 per cent of all fares paid by riders – a significantly higher percentage than what drivers using other similar platforms receive.

Speaking on plans for the coming year, Okafor siad: “We intend to expand our footprint even further in 2019, as we believe that all Nigerians can benefit from the convenience and cost-efficiency of ride-hailing,” says Okafor. “Furthermore, providing appropriately licensed drivers with a platform through which they can earn a sustainable living continues to drive us forward.”