Kenyan cab firm’s expansion drive takes it to Lagos
CEO Bob Collymore during the launch of Little in Nairobi on July 5, 2016. FILE PHOTO | NMG
What you need to know:
- Little's entry into Nigeria marks Little’s first foray outside Kenya.
- The firm is also aiming to grow its network locally by launching the e-hailing app in Eldoret and Nakuru towns.
- Little is currently available in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
Safaricom-backed online taxi-hailing app, Little, is set to begin operations in Lagos in October, taking abroad its battle for customers with rival firms Uber and Taxify that are also present in the West African nation.
The e-hailing firm’s entry into Nigeria marks Little’s first foray outside Kenya.
Little’s chief executive Kamal Budhabatti on Wednesday said that the firm is also aiming to grow its network locally by launching the e-hailing app in Eldoret and Nakuru towns. Little is currently available in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
“Our team is already in Nigeria ahead of the official launch set for October 8 and we are hoping to grow the business further in the continent.
Locally, we are the first to venture into Kisumu city and we will be rolling out the service to other towns that our surveys suggest need the e-hailing service,” said Kamal.
The e-hailing app, developed by local Financial technology firm Craftsilicon, has so far registered about 2,000 drivers to its platform and makes 10,000 trips daily, according to Mr Budhabhatti.
Mr Budhabhatti said recent features added in the app, which include a panic button to boost security of riders and drivers and a facial recognition system, will also be introduced in the Nigerian market.
The system improves security of its riders and cuts down cases of drivers sharing accounts or using unknown accounts.
The firm conducts checks using the security feature every time a driver logs in to verify their identity.
