The ban on the operations of motorcycles popularly called Okada in Lagos has made Gokada, one of the major players in the motorcycle-on-demand firms to switch to delivery and boat services.
The firm recently laid off a large part of its staff, and CEO, Fahim Saleh says it was necessitated by the recent ban, and a need to pivot.
“We are pivoting to deliveries while transport gets figured out,” Saleh told TechCabal in a telephone conversation.
He also hinted at a Gokada boat service that will launch anytime in February, or “real soon”.
“One 24-passenger boat just came in, and another is sitting at the port waiting to be cleared from customs,” Saleh said.
On the lay-offs, Saleh said they were necessitated by a need to proactively adjust to circumstances and cut down burn rate. He also claims not to be sure how many people were affected by the sack.
After its launching in 2017 Gokada was the second motorcycle hailing company to enter the Nigerian mobility space; after MAX.ng which launched in 2015.
