LagRide drivers are rejecting the new salary model introduced by Choice International Group (CIG), the distributor of GAC motors in Nigeria.

CIG Motors recently took over the full operational control of LagRide from the Lagos State Government, including the management of the vehicles and drivers.

LagRide, a ride-hailing service in Lagos, Nigeria, is owned and operated by a partnership between the Lagos State government and CIG Motors, since 2021, as an alternative to the rickety yellow and black-coloured taxis scattered across the city.

Ohibaba learned that, following the March 2025 full takeover,  CIG had replaced the previous drive-to-own scheme with a salaried model for drivers.

Drive-to-Own Scheme:

The previous scheme allowed drivers to lease GAC vehicles through a down payment and daily installments.

Salaried Model:

CIG Motors has replaced the drive-to-own scheme with a salaried model, where drivers earn a fixed monthly salary of ₦150,000.

Some of the drivers who spoke with our Reporter are complaining that the monthly salary model isn’t favourable, and would likely switch to competitors, the likes of Bolt and Uber.

It was further gathered that the new management of LagRide has commenced retraining programmes for the drivers, batch by batch.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, initiated LagRide as a solution to improve mobility and provide a multi-modal transportation system for Lagosians.

Purpose of LagRide:

LagRide aims to provide a more modern and reliable alternative to the traditional, often rickety, taxis that were previously prevalent in Lagos.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a “Nigeria First Policy” aimed at prioritising the use of locally made goods and services in all government procurements.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, made the disclosure saying that the policy seeks to domesticate all government processes.

The Nigerian government expects that with the new policy, local manufacturers will get priority in the provision of goods and services.

“No procurement of foreign goods or services already available locally shall proceed without justification, and where there is an exceptional need for these services to procure from outside, there must be a waiver to be obtained, written waiver to be obtained by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP),” Mr Idris said.

“Where no viable local option exists, contracts must include provisions for technology transfer, local production or skills development.

For example, the provision of portal allocations under the sugar master plan should take into consideration participants’ backwards integration plans and investment in Nigeria and ensure compliance with the Master Plan.

“The MDAs have also been directed to immediately conduct an audit of all procurement plans and submit revised versions in line with these directives. Breaches will attract sanctions, including cancellation of procurement processes by such MDAS, and indeed disciplinary action against responsible officers,” the minister noted.

The federal cabinet approved these proposals on Monday and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation has been directed to prepare an Executive Order to be issued by President Bola Tinubu.

This is a major shift in government policy, Mr Idris added. “It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.”Once signed into law, Mr Idris said, the legislation will “foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian, and it aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure and how we also build our economy.”“Going forward, Nigerian industry will take precedence in all procurement processes,” the minister said.

This is a major shift in government policy, Mr Idris added. “It puts Nigeria – not foreign companies, not imports – at the heart of our national development.

”Once signed into law, Mr Idris said, the legislation will “foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian, and it aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure and how we also build our economy.”

Where local supply falls short, contracts will be structured to build capacity domestically, according to Mr Idris. “Contractors will no longer serve as intermediaries sourcing foreign goods where local factories die. I take the example of the sugar industry.”

“For example, we still have so much importation of sugar coming into this country, yet we have the Nigerian sugar council that was set up to look inward to see how sugar production can be produced, you know, for the benefit of Nigerians.

President Tinubu has proposed that we will no longer just sit there and allow importation to come into this country where there is the capacity for production of these commodities locally.

Now, as I said, the president has proposed the following directives, and all of them have been approved by the Federal Executive Council.”

President Tinubu has proposed that we will no longer just sit there and allow importation to come into this country where there is the capacity for production of these commodities locally. Now, as I said, the president has proposed the following directives, and all of them have been approved by the Federal Executive Council.”

The Dangote Group is sponsoring the 2025 Nasarawa Trade Fair Exhibition, which officially opens this Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital.

The Theme for this year’s Fair is: Investing in Nasarawa’s Future: Fostering Economic Development Through Mineral and Agricultural Cottage Industrialisation

The trade fair, according to the Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Small-Scale Industrialists (NASSI), Nasarawa State Chapter, Nidan Sambo Manasseh, will be declared open by the state governor, Abdullahi Sule.

He said the fair is a collaboration between NASSI and the Nasarawa State Chamber of Commerce Agriculture and Industries.