The cost of owning a car has gone up
New and imported used cars cost far more in naira than they did a few years ago, and fuel and maintenance have followed. Many households that would once have bought a second car now hold off, and many young professionals in Lagos have decided that owning a car full-time does not fit their budget. The need to move has stayed the same, so people are looking for ways to use a car without carrying the full cost of one.
Owners are earning from cars they already have
Most privately owned cars are parked for most of the day. Peer-to-peer rental lets an owner list that car and earn from it on the days it would otherwise sit idle. On RideSure, owners in Lagos rent to verified, paying customers, and the income can go toward maintenance, school fees or the loan on the car itself. For a retiree with a clean SUV or a family with a car they use only on weekends, that is real money from an asset they already own.
Renters get the car they need for the days they need it
A renter pays for a sedan for a week of meetings or an eight-seat SUV for a family trip, then hands it back. There is no loan and no mechanic to manage. The money stays in Nigeria too, because it goes to a Nigerian owner instead of a foreign platform, which matters more this year after Uber closed its Nigerian service in September.
The months after Independence Day are the busiest
October opens the season of weddings, end-of-year events and December homecomings, when Nigerians living in the US, the UK and elsewhere return to Lagos and need a car from the day they land. Demand for good cars rises sharply and the best ones are booked weeks ahead. If you are traveling home, book your car when you book your flight. If you own a car in Lagos, this is the best time of the year to list it.
Happy Independence, Nigeria
RideSure is built by Nigerians for the way Nigerians move, and we are glad to mark 66 years with the owners and renters who use the platform. Browse cars or list your own at getridesure.com.