Iniabasi Akpan is the Country Manager for OPay in Nigeria, an international financial tech company which is a member of the Opera Group of companies. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, he speaks about how OPay and ORide Street work, how they have helped create jobs and also how they have helped solve security challenges in the city.
How would you describe the ownership of OPay/ORide? And, what necessitated their interest in Nigeria?
OPay is owned by Paycom Nigeria Limited with Opera owning a stake in the company. It is a Nigerian entity with global aspiration and Nigeria is a key market for the business.
What is OPay about? And, how can it benefit the common man?
OPay is a mobile payment product that enables Nigerians to make payment easily. OPay is a multifaceted product where we have agency banking, bike-hailing, food delivery and other services. OPay benefits the average Nigerian immensely as we have created thousands of jobs through the agency banking, bike-hailing and food delivery. As a business, we exist to remove the barriers to financial services and access to a better quality of life for the underprivileged and the financially excluded. Nigerians have access to smooth and grassroots financial services through us. Many families and cities have gained immensely from our innovation. Furthermore, with the OPay app, which could be downloaded from Google Play store or iOS app store, people can send and receive money, fund their wallets to carry out transactions such as payments like cable TV subscriptions, electricity bills, airtime recharge, internet data subscription.
How does the ORide differ from the okada that we know?
ORide offers a safer, secure and a more convenient mode of transportation. It is also affordable. The way ORide works is different from that of the traditional okada business. ORide is more organised with officially registered riders we have trained and certified to our standard. We do not only train them on how to use the roads and how to obey traffic laws, we also train them on how to communicate with their customers and how to observe personal hygiene.
How does Lagos ORide differ from that of Ibadan?
The modus operandi of ORide in Lagos is different from that of Ibadan. In Lagos, what is in operation is ORide Green, where new motorbikes, with 200cc engines, are purchased for the riders by the OPay company on hire purchase. However, In Ibadan, where it is called ORide Street, we adopted a third-party model where motorbike riders use their already existing motorbikes or purchase new motorbikes for the business.
How much did you invest in this scheme and why do you think it was a wise investment?
Opay has invested millions of dollars into this project and it is a wise investment because the services provided solves the basic problems in the Nigerian system.
OPay/ORide Street registered with Oyo State government? In what way will they help with job creation in the state?
Yes, they help in creating more jobs by giving riders the opportunity to earn a living. There are currently over one thousand OPay agents in Ibadan. Right now, we have about five hundred staff in Ibadan with over two thousand active riders.
What conditions must prospective riders meet before being accepted by ORide Street? And, do you have females among your rider? If no, why?
Interested motorbike riders come to their offices to show interest. Once they have made their interest known, ORide inspects their motorbikes and accompanying documents, and also test them to confirm if they can read and write. There are forms to fill, too. Once the application is successful, the prospective rider is scheduled for training by ORide training staff. Part of the training also includes practising with a demo version of OPay app, where they can access the ORide platform. As regards female rider, there is no law preventing woman from being commercial motorbike riders. If they meet the required conditions like the men, they will be accepted. Yes of course, we have female riders.
What kits are given to accepted riders? And, how do they pay for the kits?
Once the riders are certified by ORide, they are given their kits: a smartphone (at a discounted price), which contains the OPay app; a reflective jacket, for easy identification in the night; two yellow helmets; two yellow rain coats; and a hundred pieces of hair nets, to reduce heat from the helmet and to prevent hair infections. The mode of payment is on a daily basis for three months. The company deducts N300 from the daily earnings of the riders before paying them. These transactions are done through the OPay app.
How does ORide Street pricing system differ from that of normal commercial motorcycle? And, how would customers pay for their rides when the OPay app fails to work due to a network problem?
The ORide prices are currently at a discounted rate, so it is cheaper than the typical commercial motorcycle. In a situation where a customer cannot pay due to network issues, the customer will have to pay later before they are allowed to take another trip. The network problems are mostly from the network providers who provide data services and not from the app. However, it is rare to experience network problems with the app.
Could you explain the process involved in requesting for a ride by a customer till he/she get to their destination?
The customer goes to the ORide platform to request a ride and selects a destination. It gives a timeline on how long the rider will take to get to the customer. The customer has the opportunity to cancel the ride or decline the rider. Once a customer makes a request/order, riders closer to the customer will receive the order through their phones. The riders, through the platform, will see the customer’s current location, name and phone number. The first rider to accept the order will attend to the customer. Then, he will call or text to enquire the customer’s exact location for pick up. Furthermore, once an order comes in and the rider refuses to accept it within twenty-four seconds, another rider will accept it or the platform will automatically cancel it. Also, once a rider accepts an order, another order cannot come in until the previous one is completed.
When on ORide scheme, can riders do their normal non-ORide business? And, what happens when a rider decides not to continue with ORide?
No, they cannot. The riders naturally would not do that because they get more requests when they are online. They return the gear and equipment given to them by the company with the exception of the Android phone.
How do you manage the friction between your riders and law enforcement officers?
We try to ensure our riders are compliant with the rules and regulations in different states. However, when this happens we have rider managers who help the riders out. There are helplines for the riders to call when such situations arises.
Is there any scheme for the riders in the event of accidents, damage to their motorbikes or health issues while on ORide duty?
If there is proof of the accident, ORide will replace the damages.
In what ways do you think ORide Street has helped to reduce security challenges in Ibadan transportation system?
The riders are verified and trustworthy which reduces security risks and motorcycle related thefts. Also, with the ORide platform, which tracks the movement of both riders and passengers, location detection is very possible.
Is there any plan to incorporate more services into the OPay app or plan to expand ORide into other cities in Nigeria?
There are on-going plans to introduce more everyday services to the OPay platform, and ORide, ORide streets and OTrike are currently expanding to other Nigerian cities. In fact, we are currently in Ilorin, Aba, Kano, Akure, Kaduna, Uyo, Jos, Enugu, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Lagos, Asaba and more is yet to come.
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