It’s in been in the offing since April, and we’ve had quite a bit of evidence between then and now pointing to it’s inevitability. Now it’s official. Uber, the largest online service for booking taxi cabs has put its first car on Lagos roads.
Each time Uber launches in a city, it chooses someone popular to be the first to try it out. That person is dubbed “rider zero”. For Lagos, the launch team chose popular Nigerian music star, Ice Prince Zamani to rock the first ride. We’re thinking he was chosen not just for his popular appeal to a young aspirational Nigerian demographic, but also for his social media following.
I’m not quite sure what to make of this picture though. It’s shot in an enclosed space, and it’s hard to be certain if Ice Prince is driving or will be driven. Bah, whatever. Even if it looks like any random old picture that could have been culled off Instagram, this pretty much proves it’s legit — it’s on Uber’s official blog.
Update: Uber says Ice isn’t driving.
Does this means that you’re able to download the app and book Ubers in Lagos right away? Not sure of that either. Although, according to the official post on the Uber blog announcing the development –
There’s that intangible ‘something’ about Lagos that makes it a place where anything and everything is possible, and starting today ordering an Uber is too!
Whatever the case, it certainly won’t be long now before the high end taxis become hit Lagos roads in earnest. I’ve always wanted to hail an SUV.
Developing…
