GIGM launches Abuja car-hire and travel apps, plans 40-terminal network push

GIG Mobility, the company many Nigerians know for interstate buses, is moving into car hire and travel bookings. It launched two digital services in Abuja on Wednesday: hireX, which lets people book chauffeur-driven vehicles, and PASS, which handles bus tickets, flights, hotels and tour packages in one place.

The company's chief executive, Dr Enahoro Okhae, said the goal is to become more than a bus operator. He described the plan as building an ecosystem that covers transport, travel and lifestyle services, rather than simply moving passengers from one city to another.

For everyday travellers, the pitch is convenience: booking a ride to the airport, a car for a wedding or a full trip with flight and hotel in one app. Okhae said customers now expect speed and digital access, and that the company had to respond to those changing expectations.

Partner cars and a growing terminal network

Under hireX, GIGM will use a mix of its own vehicles and cars supplied by partners, according to the company. Customers can hire vehicles with drivers for airport trips, corporate travel, events and journeys within Abuja.

The company's chief operating officer, Jude Odum, said GIGM was already talking to corporate organisations, embassies and non-governmental organisations. Okhae said Abuja was selected because of demand for reliable transport from businesses, government institutions and embassies.

GIGM also said it opened a terminal in Gwagwalada on Tuesday, taking its network to 40 terminals across West Africa. That adds to its existing presence in Utako, Zuba, Mararaba and Madalla. Independent, however, reported that the company operates more than 40 terminals in Nigeria and Ghana.

The company's head of product, Charles Oloyede, said technology allows it to coordinate complex operations and cut reliance on manual processes. He said services first offered in Lagos are now being extended to Abuja.

Regulator's warning on trust

The Director-General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Oluwemimo Osanipin, stressed that technology-driven transport businesses must address customer trust, personal data and reliability. He said passengers need assurance that information they submit on booking platforms will be protected.

"After we have launched today, the real work is going to start," he said, urging the company to keep service standards high as it grows.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Olufunso Adebiyi, who was represented by Usman Abubakar, a deputy director of road and mass transit, said the ministry is open to partnering with private transport operators.

What happens next: the test will be whether GIGM can keep partner drivers and bookings reliable as it scales. Its commercial success will also depend on the terms it agrees with partner vehicle owners and how well it protects customer data.