In just 16 months, the car-hailing app has already carried out 30% more rides than it did over the same period in London, according to Ebi Atawodi, GM of Uber Nigeria.

She says the success is down to adapting the Uber model to fit the needs of Lagos residents. "It is a global concept, but it has to be localized by a team that understands the fabric of the city."

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One of the biggest problems the company has faced in the most populous city in Nigeria is the fuel scarcity that has plagued Nigeria as a whole in recent months.

CNN reports that Uber had tried to get around that situation by setting up partnerships with fuel stations to enable some driver skip queues.

To maintain that growth, the company has added a cash payment option and is also working on adding other on-demand services such as food delivery just like it has in South Africa and some cities in the US.