N30,000 Lagos Airport-Ikeja fare sparks outrage

Travelers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria, are expressing outrage over the exorbitant pricing of a newly introduced airport car-hire service. A trip from the airport to Ikeja, a common destination, is reportedly costing as much as N30,000, a price that has ignited widespread criticism online.

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Radisson, that’s in GRA Ikeja. It’s just 30,000.

Travel content creator Chris Joondeph, known as "Authentic Travelling," shared his shock after being quoted N30,000 for a ride to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja. He noted that he previously paid between N6,000 and N8,000 for the same journey using services like Uber. Disputing the high fare, Joondeph opted to walk outside the airport premises to book an alternative ride-hailing service, securing a ride for N6,100.

A comparison of fares reveals a stark disparity. The airport car-hire platform, ACHRAMS, lists prices ranging from N10,000 to N20,000 for trips to the city center and N20,000 to N30,000 for journeys to suburbs. Inter-state trips are priced between N30,000 and N60,000. In contrast, conventional e-hailing platforms like Bolt and Uber offer significantly lower rates for the same airport-to-Ikeja route, with Bolt at N6,900 and Uber ranging from N4,200 to N5,800. The ACHRAMS fare is thus hundreds of percent higher than its competitors.

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It costs 30,000 to Ikeja, when it normally used to cost me at most 8,000 naira. Me, I sabi. I won’t be paying that.

Nigerians on social media have condemned the pricing as "exploitation." Users questioned the justification for such high charges, particularly for a journey within Lagos. The significant price difference has led many to question the value and fairness of the new airport car-hire service.

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I am here outside of this hotel called Blue Lodge Hotel. I just ordered an inDrive, which was the first one to come. So he’s a couple minutes away, and it was 6,100 naira is what I’m going to pay to get home.