For Lagos commuters, fuel prices are a constant stress and this change brings a welcome relief. “This move wasn’t just a decision—it was about making a real impact for us, our customers, and the environment,” said Damilola Olokesusi, CEO of Shuttlers. 

The startup, which enables professionals to book shared transport via its mobile app, is working to ensure sustainable mobility in Nigeria.

Beyond cost savings, the CNG fleet has improved service availability. In Q1, these buses completed 1,484 trips, moving 19,292 passengers—4% of Shuttlers’ total user trips. 

Commuters have reported smoother rides and better seat quality, reiterating the startup’s focus on both sustainability and passenger comfort.

On the environmental front, switching to CNG has enabled Shuttlers to prevent the release of nearly 24 metric tons of CO₂. If this trend continues, the company expects to cut 94 metric tons annually—greatly lowering its carbon footprint in Lagos’ notoriously polluted transport sector.

As with any alternative fuel, there are issues about CNG safety. Many Nigerians worry about explosions, leaks, and structural risks. Olokesusi addressed this directly: “The CNG canisters are fireproof and equipped with automatic fire extinguishers that activate instantly in the rare event of a fire.” 

She added that the company’s quality assurance team conducts regular inspections to ensure compliance with strict safety standards. So far, every trip taken in a CNG vehicle has been incident-free.

Shuttlers is looking ahead to expanding its fleet with more CNG and electric vehicles in the coming months. With expensive fuel prices, the startup’s push for cleaner, more affordable transport would greatly bolster mobility in Lagos.

For commuters seeking a balance between cost, convenience, and sustainability, Shuttlers’ transition to CNG-powered transport may be the beginning of a much-needed change in Nigeria’s urban mobility sector.

The post Shuttlers Launches 20 CNG Buses in Lagos, Cuts Commuter Costs by 29% appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Other investors who participated in the round were VestedWorld, the lead investor in Shuttlers’ $1.6 million round 18 months ago, SheEquity, CMC 21 & Alsa, and EchoVC. This takes the mobility startup’s total funding amount to $5.6 million.

The funding will be used to enhance Shuttlers’ technology while building infrastructure to power its mass transit business, enabling employee transportation for more corporates and increasing its market share as it expands to other cities within Nigeria. The startup also seeks to hire more talent in its sales, marketing and customer support departments.

Including enabling employees seamlessly book seats on one of the buses along predetermined and scheduled routes, Shuttlers provides live bus tracking, optimal routing based on traffic, digital payments, and ride schedules. Its offerings also three payment plans which include companies paying full fares for employees, companies splitting fares with employees, and individual customers paying fares themselves. These fares range from N850 (~$1.96) and N1300 (~$2.60).

Since its last seed round in 2021, Shuttlers has increased its over 100 buses assigned to 30 routes across Lagos State, to almost 260 buses going through 300 routes across Lagos and Abuja daily. Its clientele is made up of more than 80 companies, including Interswitch, MainOne and Paga, and has helped the company record 3 million trips so far, with 70,000 users having taken a ride on its platform.

Founded by Damilola Olokesusi in 2016, Shuttlers affirms to have built an infrastructure that allows its expansion into different geographies within and outside Nigeria. The company supports multiple stakeholders, from partners and drivers to marshals, as well as administrative bodies. 

The post Shuttlers Raises $4 Million in Expansion Drive appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

With the objective to contribute to narrowing this gap, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), launched in 2019 the initiative eTrade for Women, which empowers women digital entrepreneurs based in developing countries to help them become changemakers in their societies.

Rebeca Grynspan, the head of the organization made women empowerment a priority for the organization; she says “As UNCTAD’s Secretary-General, I commit to putting women’s empowerment at the heart of our work” (International Women’s Day, UNCTAD) .

Each year, UNCTAD nominates influential women entrepreneurs leaders in their region, the eTrade for Women Advocates, to inspire future generations to follow their path and create more awareness of the challenges faced by women digital entrepreneurs.

For the year 2022-2023, among the five outstanding women nominated, Damilola Olokesusi, the founder of Shuttlers in Nigeria, was selected to represent Anglophone Africa. 

Shuttlers is currently one the fastest growing technology-driven transportation start-up and is revolutionizing the way professionals and organizations commute in busy cities of Africa.

The company is also experiencing exponential growth as it just raised $1.6m seed funding to expand to new countries of the continent.

To support women entrepreneurs, eTrade for Women regularly organizes Masterclasses, which are unique empowering events that combine learning sessions, inspirational moments with influential leaders, networking opportunities and Policy Dialogues.

Further to the Masterclass, the opportunities to join eTrade for Women Communities, a global network that enables women entrepreneurs to interact with like-minded peers. The members of the Communities also benefit from the support of the United Nations to develop their skills, grow their businesses and ultimately impact their ecosystem.

For the first time, the eTrade for Women initiative is being organized in Nigeria, a free Masterclass for women digital entrepreneurs based in Anglophone Africa. The event titled ‘Scaling Up Women-Led Digital Businesses, An Opportunity for Africa’s Development’ will be set up in collaboration with Damilola and will take place in Lagos from the 6th to the 9th of December. It promises to be innovative and enlightening.

The call for applications is now open.

This Masterclass is for you if;

· You are a woman, and you are the founder/co-founder of your business.

· You have a track record of 2 to 5 years in this role.

· Innovative technologies and digital tools are at the heart of your business model and operations.

· You are based in one of the following countries: Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda.

· You want to make a difference and impact your ecosystem.

If you meet these criteria, you can apply here. Applications will close on 9 September 2022 11.59 pm.

eTrade for Women benefits from the support of Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

The post Damilola Olokesusi of Shuttlers to Lead Masterclass on UN eTrade for Women Advocates appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.