This Nigerian Woman Founded A “Women-Only Uber” Service To Better Protect And Serve Women
“We don’t want cases where women have to be on their toes or on the edge when they are using ride-hailing services.”
Whether you are riding in the backseat or driving up front, Nigerian women now have a safer and more reliable option for going places thanks to Monsurah Alli-Oluwafuyi’s company, HerRyde.
Alli-Oluwafuyi, 30, is the co-founder and CEO of HerRyde, a ride-hailing app that offers an alternative to mainstream platforms such as Uber and Lyft by recruit women drivers exclusively.
Watching cases of robberies, harassment and sexual assault reported by women passengers and drivers regularly make the headline in Nigeria, she felt compelled to build the platform.
“We don’t want cases where women have to be on their toes or on the edge when they are using ride-hailing services,” she said.
Apart from ensuring safety for women riders, the app also creates job opportunities for women drivers in the West African country.
Mother of two and third-year professional driver, Adetutu Patricia Oni, said she often gets ride request cancellations from men because “they don’t want to ride with you being a female.”
Her work conditioned has improved since she joined HerRyde because riders are screened beforehand as well.
HerRyde launched in August 2022 with 10 drivers in Abuja, capital of Nigeria.
Since then, the platform has reached more than 1,000 users and is planning to bring their “women driving women” service to other states in the country.
