LagRide hands vehicles to graduates in ‘Drive-to-Own’ initiative

Ride-hailing and mobility platform, LagRide, has handed over vehicles to another batch of its Captains under the company’s Drive-to-Own programme, reaffirming its commitment to promoting dignified transportation and creating pathways to asset ownership for drivers in Lagos.

The vehicle handover ceremony, tagged Drive-to-Own Graduation 2.0, was held at the LagRide in Lagos where government officials, business partners and other stakeholders gathered to celebrate the achievements of the graduating drivers.

Among those in attendance were Engr. Akin Fashola, Chief Vehicle Inspection Officer, Lagos State; the Executive Secretary and CEO of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund; Oloruntimilehin George, Managing Director and CEO of First Pension Custodian Nigeria Limited; Kolawole Ogunbajo, Founder and MD of Avis Nigeria; and Niyi Saliu, Director of LagRide, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of LagRide, Chief Diana Chen, the company’s Executive Director, Mildred Ekanem, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s broader vision of using transportation as a tool for empowerment, economic growth and long-term wealth creation.

“Recently, the Chairman met with Captains in our Drive-to-Own programme and listened to their stories. They spoke about income, stability, family, dignity and the confidence that comes from knowing they are working towards owning their vehicles. That is why today matters,” Ekanem said.

According to her, the programme goes beyond transportation services, as every vehicle handed over represents a fresh opportunity for drivers to improve their livelihoods and build sustainable futures for their families.

She added that the Drive-to-Own initiative was deliberately designed to provide qualified Captains with access to vehicles through a structured ownership pathway backed by professional training, operational discipline and strict platform standards.

“Every vehicle handed over today represents a Captain who can earn with confidence, serve with pride and build towards ownership. LagRide is powering Lagos by building one of the most structured and excellent city mobility platforms in West Africa.

“The LagRide Drive-to-Own programme gives qualified Captains access to vehicles through a structured ownership pathway supported by training, platform standards and operational discipline. We are after a transport system that will command respect for the transport sector just like we see abroad,” she added.

During a media session, six LagRide Captains recounted their experiences, revealing that they now earn up to N1m weekly on the platform. They described the scheme as transformative, saying it has provided financial stability and renewed optimism.

According to the Captains, the programme has enabled them to move beyond daily survival and embrace a more structured career path that allows them to support their families while steadily working towards vehicle ownership.

Also speaking at the event, LagRide’s Public Relations Director, Ifeanyi Abraham, emphasised the importance of maintaining public confidence as the company expands its operations and ownership programme across Lagos.

He asserted, “Protecting LagRide means protecting the Captains, the riders, the vehicles and the trust that the public places in the platform. Every trip matters. Every rider experience matters. Every Captain on the road carries the LagRide name, and that is why we must continue to build with structure, safety and discipline.

“When a Captain is working towards owning the vehicle, the relationship changes. It becomes responsibility, discipline and a real path to asset ownership. That is the future LagRide is building.”

As part of efforts to expand its driver base, the company also unveiled its Refer a Captain campaign, through which members of the public and existing Captains can earn N20,000 for every successful referral, subject to the programme’s terms and conditions.