By Chinedu Echianu
The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, AUATON, has called on the Federal Government to compel Uber Nigeria to undertake an immediate data-deletion exercise and compliance audit following the company’s cessation of operations in the country.
AUATON says the development was of serious national concern, particularly for more than 500,000 Nigerian app-based transporters who depend on digital platforms for their livelihoods.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Chairman, Media, Publicity and Technical Committee, Comrade Nwachukwu Chinedu-Peter, the union say Uber’s exit, effective September 2, 2026, had raise critical concerns about the welfare, livelihoods and data security of Nigerian workers associated with the platform.
The union’s major concern centres on the continued retention, processing or possible transfer of sensitive personal and operational data belonging to Nigerian transporters registered on Uber’s platform.
AUATON says such data includes National Identification Numbers, Bank Verification Numbers, drivers’ licences, vehicle particulars, residential addresses, biometric information, phone numbers, trip histories, earnings records and geolocation data.
The union urge Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, NDPC, to direct Uber to immediately cease processing and begin a verifiable and audited process of deleting Nigerian transporters’ data from its servers, both locally and internationally.
It also call for an immediate compliance audit by the NDPC to determine whether any transporter data is being retained, transferred, sold or otherwise exploited following Uber’s exit.
AUATON further demands a regulatory directive prohibiting any individual or organisation from accessing or using the data of Nigerian app-based transporters previously held by Uber without regulatory approval and the explicit consent of the affected data subjects.
The union also propose that any information required for statutory, tax or legal purposes should be transferred to a government-approved escrow repository under the supervision of the NDPC.
