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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Ride-hailing platforms including Bolt, Uber, InDrive, among others, are under growing pressure to implement protective measures for drivers following reports of attacks, harassment, and misclassification in Nigeria’s digital labour sector.
The call was made at a stakeholders engagement organised by the African Restorative Justice Summit in collaboration with the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, President of the African Forum for Restorative Justice, Prof. John Omale, said app-based drivers deserve dignity, protection, and a voice, especially when they face harm while providing essential services.
Omole said that many victims had remained silent for years due to fear, weak protections and unclear employment classifications within app-based platforms, adding that restorative justice offers an alternative to punitive models by focusing on dialogue, healing and shared responsibility among workers, platforms and regulators.
According to him, ignoring harm suffered by workers dehumanises labour and weakens trust, ultimately affecting productivity and workplace harmony.He revealed that the forum is working with legal experts, peacebuilders, and platform representatives to develop a draft restorative framework that could guide workplace relations for digital labour across Nigeria.
“Many victims have remained silent for years due to fear, weak protections, and unclear employment classifications within these platforms. Restorative justice focuses on dialogue, healing, and shared responsibility, not punishment. Ignoring harm dehumanises labour and weakens trust,” Omale said.
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In his remarks, President of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON), Mr. Damola Adeniran, said drivers face widespread misclassification, denying them labour rights, social protection, and access to grievance mechanisms.
“This misclassification exposes drivers to violence, unfair deactivations, and economic hardship. Our initiative promotes collaborative engagement with regulators, platforms, and workers to ensure safety and accountability,” Adeniran said.
The union president said the initiative promotes collaborative engagement among workers, regulators, labour inspectors, and digital platforms. He added that restorative justice emphasises shared responsibility rather than blame or punishment and called for a regulatory framework anchored on social dialogue as well as African Union-level cooperation.
Responding to the testimonies of survivors and relatives of deceased victims who were attacked while working with the companies as drivers, representative of Bolt, Ibrahim Madaki, assured that complaints would be relayed to the company’s legal department for action.
He said: “I have heard the complaints and testimonies of you all and I promise to convey all your concerns to our legal department to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to address this issue.”
Similarly, InDrive representative, Adaeze Umahi, said drivers’ concerns are being taken seriously and would be presented to management for review.
According to her, “ We have heard all your concerns and will put them into consideration. It is very important your complaints are taken note of. I have heard your testimonies and lived experiences and I must say that they are very touching. I will take back all that has been said to the mangement for consideration. I thank you for sharing your experiences.”
