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Nigerian ridesharing startup GoMyWay, which is celebrating its second birthday, has experienced a 150 per cent increase in registered members and a 300 per cent increase in the number of seats offered in the last year.

Funded by investors including Konga founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Sim Shagaya and former Amazon and Naspers executive Bill Paladino, GoMyWay connects passengers with car owners going the same route with empty seats to spare, in a bid to provide a solution to transportation problems in Nigeria via a people-powered transportation network.

The startup says it has seen strong growth over the last year, and has now recorded rides shared in 16 states in Nigeria, up from five at its last anniversary. Average seat occupancy is 2.8 people per ride, up from 1.8 in the first year, indicating that car owners on the platform are being connected to more passengers than before.

“Looking back, it is interesting to see how much we have grown. We have seen an increasing acceptance of this concept of ridesharing by Nigerians and are more than glad to be at the forefront,” said GoMyWay chief executive officer (CEO) Damilola Teidi.

“More so, it has given us the courage to push further in our quest to make GoMyWay a mainstream transport option.”

In celebration the second anniversary, GoMyWay has announced the start of an annual Rideshare Week Campaign across the country. The week-long campaign will be the first in Nigeria and is aimed at encouraging people to share rides as an alternative mode of transportation, as well as creating public awareness on the benefits of ridesharing.

“The goal is that the Rideshare Week will become bigger every year, and ultimately, many more Nigerians will get involved in the ridesharing culture,” Teidi said.

The maiden Rideshare Week will run from the June 5 to June 10, and will include a giveaway contest tagged the ‘GoMyWay Carfie Contest’. It asks individuals to post a selfie with at least one other person in their car, and share it on social media in a bid to win cash and other prizes.

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