Uber drivers are melting amid Nigeria’s historic heat wave and record fuel prices

Each time a new booking pops up on his Uber app, Johnson Idahosa promptly switches on the air conditioner in his car. To get a high rating, he needs to ensure his passengers feel comfortable — at a time when Lagos is experiencing an unprecedented heat wave. Temperatures across the country have reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). “No one will enter your car if your AC is not working,” Idahosa, who requested to be identified by a pseudonym for fear of retribution from Uber, told Rest of World. “You won’t get good ratings from customers.” 

But as soon as he drops off the passenger, he turns off the AC and rolls down the windows.

Idahosa said he isn’t tempted to turn on the AC just for himself, even during the scorching afternoons — it would use up more gas, burning an even bigger hole in his pocket. As Nigeria reels under a historic heat wave, Uber drivers across the country have had to make a tough choice between prioritizing their well-being and saving on fuel expenses.

Working in vehicles that feel like ovens is affecting their health, and neither Uber nor the government have done enough to help them, drivers in Lagos told Rest of World. “The heat is killing us,” said Uber driver Michael Avura. “I feel tired all the time, but the way my car is consuming fuel is making it difficult to stop working, no matter how hot it is, and this is a health hazard.”

Gas prices in Nigeria have increased by nearly 300% in the past year, after the government canceled its fuel subsidies to cut down on state expenditure. Despite rationing his AC usage, Idahosa said he earns only 60% of his weekly wages from a year ago.

Uber has encouraged its drivers to take regular breaks and drink plenty of water, a company spokesperson for Sub-Saharan Africa told Rest of World. “We have increased fares multiple times to help with increased operating costs. We’ve also reminded drivers that, as always, they are free to choose if, when, and where they earn, without penalty if they don’t feel able to complete a trip,” she said.

Drivers told Rest of World the company has offered bonuses to compensate for the high fuel prices — on the condition that they take on at least seven rides a day. In the current weather, drivers said, that is a tough task. Uber did not respond to a request for comment about the mandatory minimum rides.

“With temperatures rising, I am concerned about my health, but I am willing to go to any length to pay off my car and put food on the table,” said Godwin Aaron Mfon, an Uber driver based in Lagos. He said he has been dealing with fatigue and migraines caused by the high temperatures.

Doctors told Rest of World the increase in temperature is the result of climate change, and could have a severe impact on health if Nigerians don’t take proper precautions. “The first health implication that jumps at you is dehydration,” said Ademola Osokoya, a doctor based in Lagos. “[It] can cause acute kidney injuries, which could lead to renal problems later. So there’s an increased need for everyone to keep hydrated this period.”

Mercy Alfred, a medical officer at a private hospital in Lagos, told Rest of World there has been an increase in heat-related illnesses, but things could improve as the rainy season draws closer. “Patients have been complaining of the heat in Lagos and [higher] blood pressure recently,” Alfred said. “We are in a tropical region. So, we hope that when the rain comes, it will come with cool weather that will make the heat wave reduce or go away.”

Some drivers have found makeshift solutions to survive the heat. Avura said he parks under trees or inside buildings with covered parking spaces to cool down during off-peak hours. Idahosa sometimes stops at restaurants for lunch just so that he can sit in air conditioning.

“No one cares about the health of the driver or their security, and the climate conditions are making things worse,” Ibrahim Ayoade, co-founder and secretary-general of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria, told Rest of World. He said he had witnessed several drivers suffering from health issues because of excessive heat. 

Since January, at least four drivers in Nigeria have died due to exhaustion, fatigue, overwork, and a lack of rest, Ayoade said. Rest of World could not independently verify this claim.

Ayoade believes the government needs to develop regulations to ensure that companies like Uber comply with health and safety requirements for drivers.

The heat wave is expected to get worse, according to energy and sustainability consultant Oghosa Erhahon. “Nigeria will see hotter days,” she told Rest of World. “Some tips would be trying to focus on work in the cooler hours. If possible, [companies should] introduce heat-related hazard pay to acknowledge the increased health risk and discomfort faced by workers in harsh conditions.” Erhahon also recommended that drivers stay hydrated and learn to recognize symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as dizziness and nausea.

Idahosa, meanwhile, remembers his life from five years ago with nostalgia. Back then, he worked as an account officer at a bank and spent his days inside an air-conditioned office.

“I don’t intend to work for anybody anymore so I can’t go back to the bank. [But ride-hailing] is no longer paying me, so I now use it as a side hustle,” he said. “I’m already doing some other things, like property investment.”