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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
When 34-year-old Justice Erua signed up as an e-hailing driver in Abuja two years ago, he was driven by the need to earn an honest living after losing his job at a logistics company.
But what he did not expect was that some female riders would begin to see his job as an invitation for unsolicited sexual advances and, sometimes, as an opportunity to avoid paying for rides altogether.
He said: “I have had women touch my shoulder while I’m driving, ask personal questions like if I have a wife or if I stay alone, and sometimes outrightly suggest we should ‘have fun’ before they even get to their destination. One even told me she did not have money for the trip but could pay me in ‘another way’.”
Erua’s encounter is just one among many of such incidents that e-hailing drivers across different cities in the country are experiencing.
Conversations around sexual harassment in Nigeria often centre on female victims due to the high prevalence. But there is a growing case of sexual harassment of males, especially drivers who work for various platforms, that is not often talked about.
Sharing his experiences, a Bolt driver in Lagos, Friday Etim, said: “Sometimes, they dress provocatively and begin conversations that are not suitable. They will say things like, ‘You look strong; can you handle me?’ How do I respond to that while staying professional?”
Etim also said that some female riders deliberately request cash trips through the platforms and then, upon reaching their destination, refuse to pay. “They will say things like, ‘I thought you liked me,’ or, ‘Why are you stressing me over N3,000? I can give you something better,’” he said.
The driver added that “some women think being attractive is a currency they can use to get anything. I drive to survive, not to play games.”
Uchenna Madueke, another driver in Abuja, said his most disturbing experience happened late one night when a female passenger propositioned him for sex during a trip.
“She asked me if I had condoms. When I said no, she smiled and said she had some and that she sells them for N1,000. Then she told me we could quickly do it inside the bush or even right there in my car. I was shocked.”
He said he ended the trip immediately and reported the incident to the platform, but nothing came out of it.
According to Ayo Suleiman, a driver who operates across different e-hailing platforms, what may start as flirtation sometimes quickly escalates to coercion or manipulation. He said when they take offensc, some female passengers resort to mockery or even threaten to report them to the companies for sexual harassment.
“They laugh and say, ‘Ah ah, you be man na, you no like woman?’ Or I will give you a very low rating. They treat us like we do not have dignity just because we are driving them,” said Suleiman.
He added that such comments are uncomfortable and humiliating. And drivers have no choice, especially on platforms that prioritize passenger satisfaction over driver-wellbeing.
Suleiman said the issue not only disrupts their daily earnings but also dampens driver motivation for a job that serves as their primary source of livelihood.
The issue has also impacted how some drivers relate to female passengers, even those who are simply trying to get home.
A female passenger, who asked not to be named, recounted a recent experience somewhere in Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. She had booked a ride to her residence in Lugbe and was carrying several items, including a bag of rice and groceries. However, upon arriving at her street, the driver refused to drive into her compound.
“I asked him politely to help me drop the things at my door, but he firmly said no. He told me, ‘I do not go into women’s compounds anymore. I have had too many problems. Some say network failed them after the ride and then try to pay in kind. I don’t want wahala,’” she said.
The driver had also insisted before the trip began that she must pay in cash.
“He said he does not accept transfers from women anymore because they often claim their app is not working or that there is no network, and then suggest sex instead of payment. He said some women had tried to seduce him after refusing to pay. I was shocked but also saddened because I could see he had real fear and mistrust,” she said.
Experts argue that the gender-based violence discourse in Nigeria must evolve to include male victims, particularly those in vulnerable or service-oriented positions.
According to a gender rights advocate, Helen Ogwu, “sexual harassment is about power and disrespect, not just about physical attraction. Just as we hold male professionals accountable when they overstep boundaries with female clients, we must protect male workers from abuse too. Consent, respect, and boundaries should go both ways.”
With the growing adoption of e-hailing platforms across cities like Abuja, Lagos, and Port Harcourt, the relationships between drivers and riders have grown increasingly complex.
Many drivers now set personal rules, like avoiding female-only late-night trips, refusing to enter private compounds, or insisting on cash payments upfront as part of measures to avoid such problems. They admitted that they are sometimes misinterpreted as rude or unhelpful.
John Kudi, a 42-year old driver based in Abuja, called on e-hailing companies to strengthen driver protection policies and penalize riders who harass or manipulate drivers, including those who try to offer sex in place of payment.
Kudi also recommended public sensitization campaigns that promote mutual respect, proper payment, and boundaries between service providers and clients, regardless of gender.
“Let people know that being in someone’s car does not mean you have access to their body or life. Let us respect each other, whether man or woman, driver or rider,” he said.
