Nigerian transport startup expands offering

Plentywaka, a Nigeria-based transport startup has announced the expansion of its current offering, with the launch of WakaCab, a new car-hailing service that will operate for commuters in the Delta State.

As the first bus-hailing service in the West African country, Plentywaka is renowned for its offering of safe and convenient transport for Nigerian commuters via an easy to use app.

The app allows people to book and pay for a ride in real-time. The startup expands by launching WakaCab which is a new car-hailing service that has trained drivers and is operating for commuters within Delta State beginning with Asaba.

WakaCab

With limited transport links present in Southern Nigeria, Plentywaka aims to solve this with the introduction of WakaCab, a secondary mode of public transport aimed at local commuters.

WakaCab is currently available in Asaba but Plentywaka plans to expand this offering across the region.

In an official press release, Johnny Enagwolor, President and co-founder of Plentywaka, commented on the lack of tech-driven transport systems and the reason for their strategic expansion.

“Expanding the Plentywaka brand into Delta State with a car-hailing service, after launching in 2019 is a testament to our success and the importance of staying true to the vision. But it also shows our commitment to solving the issues of transport in Nigeria; and that does not necessarily mean a one size fits all approach to each state. We recognised that there was a large shortfall in a private car and technology-driven services compared to the other states we operate in, therefore the proposition had to be different for Asaba and Warri.”

How it works

Commuters can book for either personal or shared rides with WakaCab through the Plentywaka app available on Google Playstore and IOS App store.

WakaCab assists with convenience as it locates available taxi’s on the main roads, including Okpanam or Nnebisi Road. Commuting in and out of Asaba and at a later stage, Warri will be made easier through the WakaCab service.

Regardless of location, commuters are able to select a driver within a one to five-kilometer radius and are provided a QR code which then is scanned as riders enter the vehicle.

Payments can be made by cash or Plentywaka’s e-wallet system called Wakapurse.

Plentywaka Vehicle Partnership (PVP) scheme

The startup’s aim to expand into Delta State has resulted in the launch of the Plentywaka Vehicle Partnership (PVP) scheme. This scheme gives users the opportunity to register their own vehicle on the Plentywaka app and allows them to earn over Nigerian naira 250 000 per month.

Users who register their vehicles must pass the company’s official training scheme and vehicle inspection in order to start operating, similar to the model adopted by Uber.

Plentywaka also recently announced their partnership with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) which will contribute to their objective to extend the car-hailing service to the state of Warri. Since September 2019, Plentywaka has been able to attract more than 45 000 customers to its platform.

Vehicle owners who are interested in the PVP scheme can sign up here.

The platform was forced to modify its business model in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic which indicates their ability to adapt to their environment.

Plentywaka’s response to the pandemic was to introduce Logistics by Plentywaka, a logistics aggregator platform that allows users to connect to better, safer, and affordable logistics services, and Staff Bus Solutions which is an exclusive bus service directed at corporate organizations

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KLM Announces Return To Nigeria In December

On its website, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced it would be resuming flights to Nigeria. The airline will fly from Amsterdam to Nigeria starting in December. Nigeria suspended all international flights in March and has slowly been allowing airlines back into its airspace. Nigeria previously banned KLM and seven other major airlines from resuming operations.

Reciprocal bans

In September, the Nigerian Government announced several retaliatory bans against eight airlines. The bans prevented Air France, KLM Royal Dutch, Lufthansa, Royal Air Maroc, Air Namibia, Etihad Airways, and TAAG Angola from operating flights into Nigeria. Additionally, nationals from each airline’s home nation could not travel into Nigeria using another airline.

The ban came in response to several Nigerian nationals traveling on tourist visas being denied entry into other countries amid the ongoing pandemic. Nigeria made it very clear that its airspace would only be open to those who would reciprocate the agreement.

However, the ban seems to have been lifted for KLM as it announced flights would resume in December. Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika confirmed the news with a tweet stating that Air France and Lufthansa have also been given the go-ahead to resume flights to Nigeria. The Nigerian government also approved Qatar Airways for flights to Abuja.

Reopening Airports

As well as granting permission to Air France, KLM and Lufthansa, Nigeria is working hard to open other airports in the country and strengthen its international operations. The government shut down all airports in March to prevent the spread of COVID-19, except for humanitarian aid and repatriation flights. In July, the country opened up all airports for domestic routes but only opened Lagos and Abuja airports for international operations.

Now, Nigeria is looking to reopen its other airports, including Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu, for international routes. In a briefing at the end of last week, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority director, Musa Nuhu, said that opening other airports is now crucial to help decongest Lagos and Abuja airports.

Ongoing problems

However, a lack of staff members and several infrastructure issues prevent the airports from reopening immediately. Nigeria’s Coalition Against COVID-19 is working with the aviation authorities to fix issues and provide manpower. Because of the ongoing problems, there is no set date for when the airports will reopen.

Part of the issues stem from the ground handling operations in Nigeria. According to local media, two major companies in Nigeria, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO), have suffered since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the closure of airports.

Both ground handling companies have let people go since the start of the pandemic in attempts to minimize losses. With new, stricter checks and fewer staff on the ground, turnaround times will take longer. Getting an airport up and running again is more complicated than just restarting operations. With social distancing, new testing facilities, restrictions, and staff layoffs, Nigeria, like other countries, has an uphill battle to get all its airports ready for international visitors.

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Nigerians are leading global asylum claims to Canada despite Covid-19’s travel restrictions

In February, data showed that, for the fifth year in a row, more Nigerians emigrated to Canada in 2019 than the year before.

Another marker of that exodus is that the number of Nigerians issued permanent residence (PR) permits by the Canadian government has tripled since 2015. In 2019 alone, 12,595 Nigerians were issued the permits.

But while those figures are based on people who moved to Canada through its skilled workers immigration program, Nigerians are also taking other paths to move to the North American country.

In fact, Nigeria is set to end 2020 with the highest number of finalized asylum claims (i.e claims that were either accepted, rejected, abandoned, or withdrawn) to Canada for the fourth straight year. Nigeria overtook China as the country with the highest claims back in 2016. Nigeria’s hold on the top spot is despite a major slowdown in asylum claim rates given global travel restrictions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, Canada has seen a 71% drop in finalized asylum claims so far in 2020.
Canada’s “open doors”

While Canada’s skill-based immigration program offers immediate residency permits and a long-term pathway to citizenship, the country’s perceived openness to immigrants, particularly relative to the US in recent years, means it has also become subject to rising asylum claims as well. Canada recently announced plans to welcome an additional 1.2 million immigrants over the next three years.

Canada’s ongoing immigration drive to boost its labor force has added to the country’s appeal for middle-class Nigerians who are increasingly pursuing exit plans to leave Nigeria given the country’s ongoing economic travails. Indeed, for many Nigerians, moving to Canada is also predicated on opening up increased educational and life opportunities for their children, particularly given Nigeria’s precariously low human capital spending. In 2018, Nigeria overtook India as the country with the highest number of people living in extreme poverty.

With refugee protection claims typically based on allegations of persecution in a person’s home country, a range of factors have seen Nigerians jump to the front of the queue, including persecution based on religion and sexual orientation. With homosexuality still criminalized under Nigerian law, it has become an oft-cited reason for Nigerian asylum seekers in Canada: between 2013 to 2017, Nigerians made up about 25% of claims based on sexual orientation.

But the high rate of LGBT-related claims from Nigeria (60% of Nigerians seeking asylum in that period claimed to be bisexualcompared to an average of 12% for other nationals) has raised questions that some of the claims may be fabricated.

Political persecution is also emerging as a factor driving these claims as well, especially in the wake of high-profile protests against police brutality in Nigeria. As several reports and incidents suggest that the Nigerian government is cracking down on the recent EndSARS protest organizers, there has been a spike in local interest in Canada’s refugee protection programs—enough to force the country’s High Commission to Nigeria to clarify the proper channels for seeking these claims.

By Yomi Kazeem

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Ex-Nigeria international Obodo left traumatised after second kidnapping

Former Nigeria midfielder Christian Obodo is traumatised after he was kidnapped in the country's oil-rich Delta state for the second time in eight years.

The 36-year-old, who spent over a decade in the Italy's Serie A, was dragged from his car by unknown gunmen on Sunday after parking to buy fruit in the southern city of Warri.

"I was forcefully taken at gunpoint on refinery road not too far from my house, blindfolded and forced into the passenger seat of my car," Obodo told BBC Sport Africa, as he revealed dramatic details of his seizure.

"They started punching me and one of them threatened to shoot me in the head if I don't stay calm and quiet, it was at this point that I explained to them who I was and probably not who they were looking for.

"One of them recognised my name as the footballer, that was when I knew I wasn't targeted, but randomly picked up by these guys.

"It was really traumatising because the motives were unclear and being subjected to another abduction is very cruel.

"They took my diamond earrings, wrist watch, necklace and demanded for money, but I told them I only had my bank cards."

To make things even worse for Obodo he was locked in the boot of his car as his abductors decided to empty his account.

"I was kept in my boot for more than four hours. They started emptying my accounts using my two unlimited cards," he said.

"They were driving me to different places, I didn't even know we were still in Delta State. You can tell they are highly experienced in these card transactions.

"They were taking out cash endlessly and took their time with different transactions by removing unlimited cash whilst I was locked up in my boot.

"After they realised they couldn't take out more cash they drove me into a dark spot, where I was dumped later that night and was allowed to leave."

It is the second time the former Perugia, Lecce and Fiorentina player has been kidnapped in his hometown, with the first taking place in June 2012 while he played for Udinese.

Obodo said while this latest incident was random, the trauma has left him broken and feeling unsafe in his country.

"It's sad to say that I no longer feel safe anymore," he told BBC Sport.

"Just to park on the road to buy my mother apple and water melon, only to be seized at gunpoint.

"Imagine travelling on the road where you are all alone. A lot has to be done with security across the country for citizens to feel safe.

"I may have lost money and things money can buy, but now I fear that one day one could lose his life to gun-wielding people who might kill you for not having anything they want."
 

History of abduction

Kidnappings - more often of oil workers, the rich and famous - are a regular occurrence in Nigeria, but footballers and their families are increasingly being targeted.

In March 2019, the mother of Nigeria international Samuel Kalu was released after being held by gunmen for six days.

It came almost a year after former Chelseas and Nigeria midfielder John Mikel Obi's father was kidnapped for the second time in seven years in June 2018, before being released after a ransom of 10 million naira (about $27,500) was paid.

Back in 2007, France-based defender Onyekachi Apam was kidnapped by armed men who took his car before releasing him.

A year later, the elder brother of Everton defender Joseph Yobo was kidnapped in oil-rich Port Harcourt before being released 10 days later.

By Oluwashina Okeleji

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