The partnership strengthens Lagos State’s transportation ecosystem and accelerates the shift toward a structured, technology-enabled and financially bankable mobility sector.

Over the past 10 months, Lagride has rebuilt its entire onboarding and operational system for drivers, known as Lagride Captains.

The platform introduced a performance-led Drive To Earn structure supported by weekly and monthly rental models.

This system has generated consistent 90-day usage and repayment data across the fleet, allowing United Bank for Africa and other financial institutions to assess driver performance with accuracy, confidence and transparency.

Eligibility for the Drive To Own programme is based on clearly defined performance thresholds, repayment discipline, safety compliance and service consistency.

Through this approach, Lagride has emerged as the most structured, data-driven and credit-ready mobility platform in Nigeria, setting a new benchmark for bankable driver financing and asset ownership.

“Transportation is the backbone of Africa’s economic future, and platforms like Lagride are creating the blueprint for how African cities can build modern, technology-driven and people-centred mobility systems.”

EV Infrastructure Expansion

As part of the milestone, Lagride also unveiled an expanded electric vehicle charging facility in Alausa, Lagos, reinforcing its long-term commitment to clean, future-ready mobility.

The expanded infrastructure is designed to support the growing electric vehicle segment within Lagride’s fleet, reduce operational downtime and enable more efficient, sustainable transportation at scale.

By pairing driver financing with practical EV infrastructure, Lagride is positioning itself as a mobility platform built not just for today’s Lagos, but for the next generation of urban transport.

Chairman’s Vision: From Drivers to Investors

Speaking on the landmark partnership, Chief Diana Chen, chairman, Lagride, stated that the ultimate goal of the Drive To Own programme is not to keep drivers behind the wheel indefinitely, but to move them up the economic value chain.

She explained that Lagride is intentionally designed to help drivers evolve from operators into owners, and ultimately into investors and partners managing multiple vehicles and teams of people.

“Lagride was created to give Lagos a modern, disciplined and technology-driven mobility system while ensuring that drivers are not left behind. The goal is for drivers who we call Captains to become business owners, fleet partners and mobility investors, not just drivers. This 100 million dollar partnership with United Bank for Africa moves thousands of captains closer to owning productive assets, managing multiple cars and building stronger financial futures. It is a major step forward in our commitment to driver prosperity and the future of smart mobility in Lagos.”

She noted that the Drive To Own programme is a starting point, not an endpoint, laying the foundation for long-term enterprise building, governance and scalable wealth creation within the mobility sector.

UBA’s Perspective

Delivering remarks at the event, Oliver Alawuba, group managing director and CEO, United Bank for Africa, shared a personal reflection on his father, who had been a professional driver.

He spoke about transportation as a source of dignity, livelihood and social mobility, and why UBA considers the sector critical to inclusive economic growth.

He also recounted his reaction when Chief Diana Chen first shared the Lagride vision, describing it as clear, ambitious and strongly aligned with UBA’s commitment to financing real-sector projects that create jobs, build assets and deliver long-term economic impact.

According to him, Lagride represents the kind of transformational, well-governed and data-backed initiative that UBA exists to support across Africa.

Event Speakers and Signatories

The event featured contributions from key stakeholders across Lagride, UBA and CIG Motors Group, including:

• Chief Diana Chen, chairman, Lagride
• Ademola Adeyemi, Lagride Academy and Driver Management Team Lead
• Dorathy Akpan Etim, Lagride Captain on the Drive To Own Scheme with UBA
• Brigadier General Chukwuemeka Udaya, special adviser to the Chairman on Government Relations, who signed on behalf of CIG Motors
• Ifeanyi Abraham, PR director, Lagride, who hosted the event

Other Dignitaries in Attendance

Also present were senior executives and leaders from UBA, Lagride and CIG Motors Group, including:

Wei Bin, Chief Operations Officer, Lagride; Babatunde Ajayi, head of SME Banking; Alero Ladipo, group head, Marketing and Corporate Communications; Olufemi Osobajo, head of Segments and Channels Marketing; Olufemi Bamigbetan, head, REDTV; Ramon Nasir, head of Media Relations; Abiodun Coker, Media Relations, and Adetola Adeduwon, head of Events.

From CIG: Eniola Olutimehin, chief operating officer, CIG Motors; Dr Ram, chief financial officer, CIG
Mrs Manyo Pam, general manager, Operations, CIG; Mr Martin, managing director, Gree, and Mr Roamen, managing director, Lontor.

The partnership underscores a shared commitment by Lagride, United Bank for Africa and CIG Motors Group to build a disciplined, scalable and investor-ready mobility ecosystem where drivers can grow into business leaders, asset owners and long-term partners in Lagos’ transportation future.

How can Africa remain safe and powerful in a world being rapidly redefined by Artificial Intelligence? That pressing question will take centre stage at the 13th Digital Africa Conference & Exhibition (DACE), scheduled for October 28–29, 2025, in Abuja.

The two-day gathering will be anchored by two powerhouse keynote speakers: Dr. Armstrong Takang on Day 1 and Prof. Latif Ladid on Day 2, each bringing unique expertise to Africa’s digital sovereignty conversation.

Dr. Armstrong Takang, managing director/CEO of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), will open the conference with a keynote that situates Africa’s digital sovereignty within the broader context of economic reform, institutional innovation, and strategic governance.

A consummate professional and visionary thinker, Dr. Takang has spent decades bridging the gap between public reform and private investment across Africa and the United States. Before his current role at MOFI, he served as Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, where he led the MOFI Transformation Team.

His career includes leading Growth Alliance Partners (GAP), a pan-African firm that helped turn around several businesses to create shareholder value, and working at KPMG in New York.

He has been instrumental in designing and implementing key national initiatives such as the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), and the ICT components of EFCC/NFIU systems.

Dr. Takang has also chaired national ICT committees and contributed to landmark policies, including Nigeria’s Content Development in ICT and the country’s 50-year Development Plan. His keynote will highlight how digital and financial sovereignty intersect to secure Africa’s long-term competitiveness.

On the other hand, Prof. Latif Ladid, Founder & President of the IPv6 Forum and Chair of the AI & Blockchain Global Forum, brings decades of global leadership in internet architecture, digital policy, and emerging technologies.

His expertise spans across pivotal roles from IEEE Future Networks to the Internet Society, 3GPP, and EU research on next-generation networks.

Organizers say his keynote will set the tone for the conference, unpacking how Africa can assert digital sovereignty, safeguard its data, and lead in shaping the ethics and standards of AI on the global stage.

“This year’s theme, ‘Sovereign Intelligence: Africa’s Voice in the Global Digital Order,’ isn’t just a concept, it’s a necessity,” said Dr. Evans Woherem, chairman of Digital Africa Consult. “Prof. Ladid’s keynote will highlight what it takes for Africa to remain safe, independent, and powerful in the new AI era.”

At a time when global powers are racing to define AI norms and secure digital dominance, Africa risks being left behind if it fails to act. Much of its technology remains imported, its data stored abroad, and its languages invisible in mainstream AI systems.

DACE 2025 is designed to change this narrative, by equipping Africa with the tools, strategies, and partnerships to become a proactive co-author of the digital future.

The conference will feature high-level dialogues on digital sovereignty, policy innovation, and cross-border cooperation, alongside exhibitions of homegrown startups, developer workshops, and showcases of African-built AI tools for health, agriculture, finance, and education.

Beyond the panels and showcases, DACE 2025 is expected to produce a concrete roadmap for Africa’s digital sovereignty.

“This isn’t just about technology,” noted Woherem. “It’s about agency, safety, and independence. With Prof. Ladid setting the stage, we hope to leave Abuja with a united vision of Africa’s place in the global AI order.”

With delegates expected from across Africa and the world, the two-day gathering promises to be a defining moment in the continent’s digital journey.

Ekeh made this call during a recent mentorship programme with a select group of African foreign-based postgraduate students in the latest edition of an annual lecture series aimed at grooming the next generation of certified entrepreneurs.

Speaking during the virtual session which was monitored online, Ekeh counselled the participants to shun the overwhelming temptation to treat government contracts as an avenue for overnight enrichment or sub-standard implementation, adding that this often has disastrous consequences.

Citing the importance of ethical standards and principles as uncompromising foundations of a successful business, the Zinox boss lamented the disturbing tendency of young, impressionable entrepreneurs to get easily excited and throw caution to the winds, especially when it comes to executing government contracts.

Consequently, Ekeh, a Forbes Best of Africa Leading Tech Icon, sounded a note of caution, warning that these acts can irreparably fracture the trust reposed by the government in entrusting major projects to startups or even to other established firms with proven capacities in their respective countries, further resulting in capital flight and erosion of the giant strides recorded in local content development.

‘‘Government is the biggest spender in any economy. Some of you, while doing business, may get a chance to execute some projects for governments, whether at sub-national or Federal level. It is a call to service and an opportunity to prove the growing faith in our indigenous capacities.

‘‘Having the opportunity to execute a government contract must, therefore, be seen as a privilege and not as a chance to outrageously inflate figures, deliver shoddy outputs or unduly enrich yourself overnight. You must seize the opportunity to grow your social capital and open the doors for others to enjoy the confidence that has been reposed in you.

‘‘There is a spiritual commitment that should naturally come with such high-profile deliverables. As a matter of fact, it must be the signature of your business that you can be counted on to deliver excellent results for any contract you win, whether big or small. I have always emphasized the importance of building yourself as a personal collateral as an entrepreneur. It is the only way you can gain the confidence of your suppliers, partners and the people or establishments that patronize your business.

Ekeh lectured that it is a fact that doing things properly in some African countries sometimes attracts pains from competition who write frivolous petitions to security agencies to inconvenience the preferred company, but he advised them to stay on the path of honour and provide time to answer those queries as they come up, instead of compromising on quality.

Using Nigeria as an example, he disclosed that for every big tech contract won by his company, they had always expected petitions from faceless blackmailers to authorities such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), among others. However, he advised his audience not to be deterred by these antics.

‘‘The only way to win is doing things right. I am lucky all my investments are in the tech sector and technology does not lie, so we always won,” he stated.

Urging the budding entrepreneurs not to lose hope because of the ongoing difficulties in the macroeconomic environment, Ekeh expressed optimism that the African economy would survive the present challenges and rebound stronger.

‘‘The current challenges in the economy are not new. We have witnessed similar cycles in the past. But our economy has always shown resilience to rebound from them. Also, you must bear in mind that the difficulties are not only local. The global economy is passing through a period of intense stress, further worsened by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and potentially set to be impacted further by the latest confrontation between Israel and Hamas.

‘‘In times like these, the failure rate of startups and other businesses increase. However, difficult times also represent periods of great opportunities. It is your responsibility to sniff out those opportunities which abound around you and take advantage of them.

‘‘You must always remember that to succeed, you cannot take pleasure before pains. In setting up your business, you must have a clear roadmap and vision. Hype is good and gets you noticed but you must work very hard behind the scenes to fill up the blank spaces with substance.

Otherwise, the hype will fizzle out and you will have nothing concrete to stand on. You must also remain spiritually strong, retain a healthy risk appetite, and rely a lot on your intuition and common-sense logic to make a success of your venture. Finally, never forget that your passion must pay your bills,’’ he concluded.

Ekeh made the call on Thursday, September 28 at the 2023 South-East Summit (#SouthEastSummit) on Economy and Security in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

In what was the highlight of the day’s session, Ekeh, a Forbes Best of Africa Leading Tech Icon and major investor in the South-East and other regions across Nigeria, disclosed that no concrete investment or development can take place in an atmosphere of tension and insecurity.

Consequently, he urged the governors to put aside party affiliations and forge a common front to press for the release of the pro-Biafra agitator, Kanu.

Ekeh, whose speech drew a standing ovation and a rapturous reaction from the audience, submitted that the South-East is a huge economy waiting to happen, added that the region is blessed with an abundance of human capital, a new breed of outstand leaders and willing investors ready to turn its fortunes around for good.

‘‘The average Igbo youth is smart, energetic and imbued with a dose of spirituality. Equipped with the necessary tools in an enabling environment, these qualities can transform our youths into world beaters and global champions. We also have quality leaders as Governors in the five South East states with the confidence to transform the region, an example of which I witnessed yesterday with the unprecedented gesture of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma to youths in the state. Working together, I believe we can site a centralized digital hub in the region which will produce certified billionaires in the next few years.

‘‘However, we must first take steps to secure the release of Nnamdi Kanu as this will instantly bring about a measure of calm and sanity in the region. Kanu is a critical factor in the security issues of the South-East. President Bola Tinubu is not a stubborn or inconsiderate leader. I am sure he will listen. When he was Governor of Lagos State, he took the advice of some of us to include deserving Igbos in his cabinet and this was how Ben Akabueze emerged,’’ he counselled.

The well-attended summit had in attendance notable Igbo sons and daughters from various spheres of endeavour, including the five South East Governors, serving Ministers and Members of the House of Representatives, captains of industries, top ranking officers from the military and other security services, academic dons and corporate eggheads, representatives of women and youth leaders, among others.

In his welcome address, Imo State Governor Uzodimma, who doubles as Chairman, South-East Governor’s Forum, harped on the need for unity and oneness among people from the zone to rescue it from implosion. Uzodinma cited the spate of insecurity and the antics of non-state actors in the region. Nevertheless, he promised that the Governors of South-East are working together to ensure that Igboland returns to its previous glorious era.

‘‘Participants must rise from the summit with a clear road map that our people will follow to regain the lost freedom and businesses without molestations and harassments. We must stop the senseless sit-at-home,” he stated.

Uzodinma suggested the floating of South-East Development Fund to fund development research. He also hailed the planned dredging of Oguta Lake to Atlantic Ocean as a step in the right direction, while also commending the Nnewi, Aba and Onitsha businessmen and women for exhibiting and sustaining the business spirit of Ndigbo.

Also speaking at the #SouthEastSummit, Chukuma Soludo, Anambra State Governor, called for a 100-year development plan for the region.

Soludo said the region must make all efforts to thrive despite the ongoing insecurity, adding that the South-East zone is not the most insecure place in the world.

‘‘It is very good to lament but I would rather like to see a glass as half full than half empty. The South-East is ready for business. We must all believe in our ability to turn things around and get the South-East going again. We need not just ourselves, we need Nigeria. Ndigbo needs Nigeria and Nigeria needs Ndigbo. Ndigbo needs Africa and the world and the world and Africa need Ndigbo. As an itinerant people, we cannot be an intolerant people. We need the partnership of everybody, partnership of the rest of the country, partnership of the diaspora and partnership with the international community.”

For Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, dialogue represents the way forward in addressing the insecurity in the zone.

He called for an understanding of the anger in the land, adding that leaders in the region must pursue justice, stamp out all forms of violence and stop the extortion of the poor by the rich.

Also speaking at the summit, Dr. Peter Mbah, Enugu State Governor, talked up the need for a connecting road to all South-East states and a unified market to aid the region enjoy comparative advantage for specific products. He also encouraged the need for regular meetings between all stakeholders in the states.

Francis Nwifuru, the Ebonyi State Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Princess Patricia Onyemechi also buttressed some of the points raised by the other speakers, while also recommending closer monitoring of children to nip nefarious associations in the bud and the need for the people of the South-East to believe in themselves.

Equally important, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the keynote speaker and Director General of the World Trade Organization, lamented the regressing fortunes of the South-East and the negative impacts of the insecurity in the zone on potential investment.

Nevertheless, Okonjo-Iweala, who spoke via Zoom, referenced the rich human capital of the region. Among her recommendations to the Governors is the convening of an investment forum, the creation of an apprenticeship scheme from which talented youths can secure gainful employment, set-up of a digital infrastructural centre in the region, leveraging the connections and competencies of professionals of South-East technocrats in the Diaspora to come back home and help in developing the region, establishment of a financial bond by the governors and optimization of the opportunities in Agriculture, Oil and Gas and other sectors.

Earlier, Anyim Pius Anyim, a former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has also lent his voice to the call calling for a review of the Biafra agitation. He also emphasized the need for better strategies to rid the region of the prevailing insecurity which he described as brutal.

The summit also witnessed goodwill messages from the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, with its President Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu calling for more investment by the Federal Government in the South-East.

There were also goodwill messages from other key stakeholders including traditional rulers and other establishments, while the Summit Planning Committee, led by its Chairman Sen. Chris Anyanwu also received praises from virtually all the speakers for the professional organization of the event.