Dispatch riders in Abuja on Thursday protested alleged a number of taxation, rejecting a brand new N25,000 price imposed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
The event was reported by the Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.
The riders stated the brand new levy was launched along with present taxes paid to space councils, pushing their whole {financial} obligations to what they described as an unsustainable degree.
The riders gathered en masse on the FCT Administration Secretariat to attraction to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to intervene and halt what they described as illegal extortion. They insisted that whereas they recognise their statutory responsibility to pay taxes, the newly launched N25,000 levy quantities to double taxation.
Ilesanmi added that a number of bikes have been impounded, with house owners compelled to pay the brand new price earlier than their bikes have been launched, whereas riders additionally proceed to pay N300 every time they enter markets, a cost that accumulates for these making a number of journeys day by day.
NAN reported that the riders suspended the protest following intervention by officers of the FCT Transportation Secretariat, who met with the leaders of the dispatch riders.
A 2025 Nairametrics investigation confirmed that dispatch riders in Lagos can earn over N25,000 day by day, highlighting the revenue potential inside Nigeria’s fast-growing meals supply ecosystem. Nevertheless, earnings range considerably relying on operational prices and regulatory burdens.
These price pressures present context for the Abuja riders’ resistance to further taxation, as new levies might considerably erode take-home revenue regardless of seemingly sturdy gross earnings.
Dispatch riders have turn out to be central to Nigeria’s on-demand financial system, notably in main city centres the place meals supply and logistics providers proceed to broaden. The function entails receiving orders through cell purposes, choosing up objects from distributors, and delivering them to prospects utilizing bikes or bicycles.
Regardless of the flexibleness, riders face persistent challenges, together with visitors congestion, enforcement points, rising gas prices, and bodily pressure, notably for these utilizing bicycles.
