Best Ways to Buy a Car on Hire Purchase for Uber (e-Taxi) Business in Nigeria

The e-taxi business popularly called 'Uber' in Nigeria is one that many people have either engaged in or would like to be engaged in. For many people trying to get into the business, a big barrier to entry is to cost of purchasing cars. Renting cars and paying weekly returns to the car owner is an option but that is fraught with problems of mistrust that usually leads to arguments over payments to the car owner and who is to pay for maintenance. 

Having interacted with many drivers who are eager to work but cannot afford to buy cars outright, I did some research and present to you what I consider the best options for those trying to buy used cars on hire purchase for Uber and e-taxi business in general. 

Best Hire Purchase Options in Nigeria

1. Autocheck.Africa

This platform has a wide array of foreign used cars available with their vehicle inspection result detailed, right from the listings, you are told what is right about the car and what is wrong with it. You can go for inspection with your mechanic and also test drive the car at the Autocheck.Africa facility.

Getting finance for the car and being able to take possession takes the following 4 steps:

How to Get a Car on Hire Purchase from Autocheck.Africa

Step 1: Complete a short form and get personalised cars to choose from

Step 2: Select a car and review the terms of finance.

Step 3: Apply for a loan and receive personalized offers.

Step 4: Accept a loan offer and drive home your dream car.

Because you are getting a car that you reasonably understand its pros and cons, this is an attractive option that many drivers might consider with the bonus of being able to pay for the car in installments after getting financing to acquire it.

2. Betacar.ng 

This is another platform similar to the first. They are ready to provide financing to drivers who own a car or have a structured registered business. These are the steps required if you are interested:

How to Get a Car on Hire Purchase from Betacar.Ng

Step 1: Search available cars to select your preferred car.

Step 2: Use the simple car loan calculator on your selected car to check the upfront deposit required, the monthly repayment, and the period of payment.

Step 3: Click on "Apply for Loan" button and fill the pre-approval assessment form.

Step 4: You will get an approval or rejection email within 10 minutes.

Step 5: If approved, you will get an email listing the documents needed, so start preparing all your documents.

Step 6: Visit Betacar HQ office for inspection and test drive.

Step 7: Scan all required documents and submit as a reply to the email address (betacarfinancing@betacar.ng).

Step 8: Betacar.ng team will review and let you know once your application package is completed ... And you are all set.

According to Betacar.ng, your car could be ready for pick-up in 1 week after submission of all required documents. 

3.  Pukena.ng

This is another platform ready to give cars to salary earners who register with it to get a car for Uber. They say they prefer Toyota Corolla.

How to Get a Car on Hire Purchase from Betacar.Ng

Step 1: Fill out our online application form in details

Step 2: Get pre-verified. Provide proof of income/ evidence of salary domiciliation.

Step 3: Start Payment of N150,000. The rest payments will be spread in 12 months period

Step 4: Pick the car you want from any of our approved dealer partners. Provide a proforma invoice for your car of choice.

Step 5: Sign and drive away!

Pukena.ng requires a down-payment of N150,000 to get started on its hire purchase scheme and you have 12 months to complete payment for the car.

4. Nairaland.com

Nairaland is Nigeria's largest online forum and you can find people doing just about any business you can think of there. There are drivers and car owners there trying to link to each other and you can register to express your interest in getting a car on hire purchase.

How to Get a Car on Hire Purchase on Nairaland.com

Step 1: Register an account

Step 2: Search for threads on buying cars on hire purchase like this one.

Step 3: Express your interest on the thread and give details of how you can be contacted. You can also contact owners to have a meeting with you where you can agree on  terms of hire purchase agreement and when to start.

This is more of one-on-one conversation and as such, you should take all security precautions like only meeting with people on a major road and verifying any office address before visiting to ensure that it is a legit location. Nairaland has good and bad people, it is up to you to screen and carefully scrutinize any offer that is made to you..

There you have it folks, if you are someone wanting to enter the Uber (e-taxi) model of business, you might want to contact me. I am a confirmed Uber recruiter and I can help you set-up your account in really quick time for free. 

Reach me via call or WhatsApp on 08085404500 and let us see how we can help you get started as soon as possible.

My Uber story and how you can start yours

If I say I have many ogas, it is not an exaggeration because I work with so many people and institutions. Some have been dropped over the years and some are still active. Our levels of engagement vary from director, consultant, partner, recruiter and so on.

I recognized over a decade ago that I am not the type of person you will give one job and try to control like an automaton. The oga that tried it about 13 years ago was dancing in his seat the day I told him I was leaving. Apparently, nobody had told him the things I had politely told him that night, no one else probably will.

I digress, this post is really about the e-taxi business. The last 10 years has seen us move from corporate coloured cabs to ride-sharing platforms. I partnered with Indriver as a recruiter in 2019 and it gave me so many insights into the business. Even after they stopped paying me for my services, I kept helping people to address the problems they were having getting on their platform -- for free. We are talking about taking about 10 calls plus multiple WhatsApp messages on some days. I did this for primarily 2 reasons:

1. To know the business to a point of being relevant in the industry.

2. As a form of personal social responsibility -- every person I help to get on the platform has dependants they can better-provide for with the job. If you can add value to others without detriment to yourself, do it.

Now, the thing about adding value to others is that it builds authority and authority attracts value to you. It happened that some representatives of Uber saw what I do and decided to contact me to do it for them. My response? "Why not gentlemen?".

So, in the last few weeks we did our onboarding and I am pleased to let you know that I am officially a recruiter for Uber.

My job is to identify interested and potential drivers to join the platform and help them start successfully. This is at my own time and pace within what is acceptable to Uber.

So, dear friends, if you or anyone have a car that qualifies and are ready for Uber, you can contact me. Call or WhatsApp 08085404500. I am ready to help you get started on your Uber journey.

Twitter's Loss is Koo's Gain, Indian App now in Top 5 Most Downloaded Chart for Nigeria

Twitter got banned in Nigeria last week and the ripples of that decision by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari are still being felt.

The Nigerian government announced the ban via a Twitter thread ironically via Twitter thread which read in part: "The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria".

One of the fallouts of this ban is the rapid adoption of a rival India-developed microblogging app called Koo.

The app promises to respect laws of any country it operates in and Nigerians are trooping to it as an alternative

to Twitter which reports say has entered talks with the Nigerian government on how to have its ban lifted.

Koo is now listed as the 5th most downloaded app on Google Play store in Nigeria from almost no where.

In a move that is likely to bolster Koo, the Nigerian government has opened an account on the app.

Co-founder and CEO of Koo, Aprameya Radhakrishna  wrote: “A very warm welcome to the official handle of the Government of Nigeria on @kooindia! Spreading wings beyond India now”.

It is not yet clear if this is the beginning of huge growth for Koo in Nigeria and beyond, only time will tell.

Indriver's New Replenish Policy and How to Pay Your Commissions as a Driver

Indriver now charges 9.5% commission per trip.

Many e-hailing drivers have been enjoying Indriver in Lagos since 2019 and it has been a major lifeline for many people with its zero commissions policy and getting paid by passengers in cash. Many drivers just love the convenience and I have received countless calls from them over the last 2 years to get on the platform. Some of them still call it "Indrive", I don't know why.

However, Indriver has now effectively started charging commissions on trips. The good news is that it is lower than the other major companies. 

All You Need to Know About Indriver Commission

1. It is a flat rate of 9.5% per trip. 

2. You get charged when you get to the pick-up destination also known as 'A  Point' and when calling the passenger before pressing the "I arrived" button.

3. The commission is refundable if the passenger refuses to show up. Just remember to click the "Passenger didn't show up" button. You will be refunded after 30 days. If you do not click the button, you will not get a refund.

4. You pay your commission through the replenish prompt. I will share the detailed process next:

How to Replenish Your Account on Indriver

Step 1: Open the Indriver app

Step 2: Switch to driver mode if you are not there already.

Step 3: Open the app menu by clicking on the 3 horizontal lines on the left hand side of your screen. 

Step 4: Click on my account, you will be taken to your Personal Account, where you can find your balance, refunds and your status.

Step 5: To replenish your account, click on "Top-up account".

Step 6: Select a payment option; "Bank cards" or "Bank Transfer".

Step 7: After clicking "Bank cards", fill in the card details (card number, expiration date, CVC, Cardholder name. Please ensure you only use your card for this not someone else's.

Step 8: Enter your email.

Step 9: Enter an amount above N300 (three hundred naira)

Step 10: Click "Pay in".

How to Pay Using Bank Transfer Method to Replenish on Indriver

Follow the steps above to Step 6. At Step 6, choose "Bank Transfer" option. 

Step 7: Enter an amount above N300 (three hundred naira) with your name and email then tap "Next".

Step 8: Select your bank from the list and click continue.

Step 9: You will receive an OTP on your phone (One-time password). Enter it and confirm. Your Indriver account will be credited. 

My Uber Story

Quick Access to Fast track Payment

Check for the "Pay" button in the lower right corner of the app and you will be immediately taken to your "Personal Account" to complete payment by bank card or bank transfer. 

Yes, Indriver has started charging commissions but it is still very low to its top competitors -- Uber and Bolt and drivers still get their money upfront and only need to replenish their account to continue using the service. I think it is a practical but effective step by the company to add value to drivers and passengers while remaining competitive. 

Get additional help with replenishing your Indriver account as a driver.

Just knowing about Indriver? Learn how to register. 

A Real Estate Company in Lagos is Recruiting Estate Surveyors and Others

Our Client is a major player in the Real Estate sector of the economy with Head Office in Lagos. The following positions are open as part of its strategic reorganization:

ESTATE SURVEYOR

The ideal candidate should have:

- A good university degree.

- Be a qualified member of NIESV.

- Have at least 5 years relevant experience.

- A track record of professional excellence. 

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send their CV and Cover Letter with the subject:

Estate Surveyor 2021 to jarushub@gmail.com

ACCOUNTANT

The ideal candidate should have:

- A good university degree.

- Relevant professional qualification.

- Have at least 5 years relevant experience.

- Must be conversant with accounting software.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send their CV and Cover Letter with the subject: "Accountant 2021" to jarushub@gmail.com

MARKETER 

The ideal candidate should have: 

- A good university degree.

- Have at least 5 years relevant experience.

- Have the capacity to close high end Real Estate deals.

- Ability to work independently.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send their CV and Cover Letter with the subject: "Marketer 2021" to jarushub@gmail.com 

Treat as urgent. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Top 10 Products to Buy and Sell in 2021

While we all try to avoid the worst of COVID-19 and try to make ends meet amidst restrictions, curfews and lockdowns. Let us look at a few products you might want to buy for yourself or sell online to make some decent money in 2021.

1. USB 3.0 Keyboard Storage Rack

USB3.0 Keyboard Storage Rack

This is a really cool device that combines wireless and USB charging.

Other Qi-enabled phones will be charged. To ensure fast charging, make sure use a fast charging adapter instead of charging through the computer.

Let us look at some of its features.

Features

• USB 3.0 Ports --- Provides data transfer and and charging features 4 USB 3.0 Hub ports.
• Fast wireless charger device
• Simply place the phone on the charging pad and it will automatically begin to charge in seconds without the need for wires or extra accessories.
• Works with all wireless charged phones, including the latest iPhone and Samsung phones.
• Connect the USB devices and charging for the hard devices, mobile phones, iPad, Kindle and other devices.

Get it here 

2. Fiber Optic LED Glowing Sneakers

Fiber Optic LED Shoes USB Recharge Glowing Sneakers 

Let these awesome sneakers light up the room. I don't think anything grabs attention like lit-up, glowing shoes.

Features

• Woven with new technology fiber.
• The neat weaving process is firm.
• Comfortable inside, good wearing feeling.
• Non-slip, wear-resistant rubber sole for firm grip and a USB port.

Get it here

3. Bluetooth Wireless Laser Keyboard

Bluetooth Wireless Laser Keyboard

Taking a physical keyboard around is so 20th century, you want to step up with this amazing Bluetooth connected laser keyboard.

Features

• The projection keyboard will work through the Bluetooth HID.
• Connect to major devices such as tablet PCs, smartphones, desktop computers, and video games.
• As a new input device, use the built-in infrared laser launcher to project the standard keyboard on the working surface.
• You can find the click location and enter the information by optically recognizing it.
• No physical keyboard, small size, easy to carry, this projection keyboard can adapt to most of the work environment.
• For devices with Bluetooth, the operating system: for Windows, iOS, Android, for Mac OS.

Get it here.

TV Mini Game Console

4. TV Minigame Console

It is time to relive your childhood memories, remember the time when there was no PlayStation and XBox? Play classic preprogrammed games on the classic 90s game pad with family and friends.

Features

• HDMI output, Support 4K TV, Suitable for 110V-220V.
• Built-in 821 different retro classic games, let you enjoy yourself in the game world.
• Comes with two high quality controllers, HDMI cable and power adapter.
• Can be connected to TV with AV cable for large screen game playing.
• Small and convenient size that's easy to carry, use and travel with everywhere you go.

Get it here.

5.  Folding Quadcopter (Drone)

Folding Quadcopter Aerial Photography Drone 

Drones are a big deal these days and this folding quadcopter is one of the more affordable options for getting yours. Take cool aerial photographs with it or practice aerial videography. You are only limited by your imagination.

Features

One key return: When the model is flying in deadless mode, press one key return button. The model will fly towards player, press the one key return button again or operate the forward/backward control stick, the model will exit the one key return function.

WIFI Link: App real-time control.

Get it here

6. USB Charger Backpack

Multifunctional Waterproof Laptop Bag USB Charging Travel Bag

The backpack was due for some updates and this delivers accordingly. Superb design, USB charging, multiple compartments and options, it is really a cool bag to have.

Features

• USB external charging interface.
• High-density waterproof material.
• Reasonable storage, 17-inch Laptop.
• 7.9-inch tablet, large capacity main bag.
• 3D ventilation design, thickened honeycomb ventilation back cushion.
• Plugin trolley case, shoulder strap bag, glasses bag.

Get it here.

7. Rechargeable Smart Sweeping Robot

Rechargeable Smart Sweeping Robot

Let's be honest, if we all had a robot to sweep for us, most of us wouldn't bother to. So, why not get yourself a sweeping robot?

See the features it has:

Features

• Terrain Detection System make it have Intelligent Drop Avoidance Induction.
• 65DB low noise mute gives you a quiet environment.
• 1800PA Super Strong Suction It easily absorbs dust, hair, paper, and reduce pollution.
• 10mm Climbing: Its has 10mm climbing function, 15 degrees climbing height.
• 5.Slim Design.
• Comes with USB charger.
• If one is not enough, you can get your own army of them.

Get it here.

8. Digital Drawing Electronic Drawing Board

Digital Drawing Board

Drawing, painting and art generally have become sources of income for people online in recent times and if you are artistically inclined, you really need to check this product out. It can increase your ability to deliver spectacular designs quickly.

Let us look at its features:

Features

• It has 8129 level pressure sensitivity that makes painting more delicate.
• Smart touch, multi-gesture operation.
• Environmental painting, passive pressure pen.
• 10-inch large panel, more free painting.
• Windows and Mac compatible
• USB powered.

Get it here.

9. DIY Tetris Lamp Building Blocks

DIY Tetris Lamp

We are taking you back to the past again with this. Remember that addictive electronic "brick game" we played in the 90s. Well, this lamp is designed based on the the different types of the bricks  (tetrominoes).

You can arrange them in different ways to create different designs and create a nice aesthetic to your home or office. It's a mash-up of art, play and lighting rolled-in one. You should really get this attention-grabbing conversation starter.

Features

• Combination Three-dimensional Puzzle Charging 
• This unique Tetris Constructible Light Lamp is an amazing light with 7 different-colored, 
• interlocking tetromino pieces that can be stacked in any combination, so you can make it look however you want! Once the blue Tetromino is plugged in and illuminated, 
• the other Tetrominos can be added in endless combinations. 
• As soon as each Tetromino comes into contact with one already illuminated, it will light up! Remove it from the rest of the Tetris Light and it immediately turns off. 
• There are countless ways the Tetris Light can be stacked, just put your Tetris gaming skills to the test. 
• The Tetris Light contains seven individual Tetrimino lights and a main adaptor. The neon magic-cube design is sure to bring fun and style to your desktop!
• Seven-piece interlocking light fixture for fans of Tetris, Pieces can be stacked in any combination.
• Every day can change into different shapes.

Get it here. 

10. Infant Wireless Video Baby Radio Babysitter Digital Baby Sleep Monitor

                   Wireless Video Babysitter 

Babies are precious and vulnerable. The average parent or caregiver is usually anxious about their safety when they are not in the same room. This device can help you with such anxiety. For example, if you are in the kitchen or doing laundry and your baby is in another part of the house, you can watch them and be assured of their safety with this simple device.

Definitely worth the investment for your piece of mind.

Let's look at the features

Features

• Compact design and easy to carry.
• Two-way intercom.
• Temperature monitoring.
• Camera built-in music.
• Automatic night vision.
• Digital signal transmission, stable and no interference.
• High contrast 2" color LCD monitor.
• Long battery life (up to 5 hours in voice control mode).
• Multi-language (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian, Turkish, Portuguese).

Get it here.

Are You Looking to Sell?

If you are interested in selling any of these items and having them delivered for you in any part of the world with $0 start-up cost, please click here to get started. 

Feel free to drop a comment and tell me what you think about these products  

Finding a Suitable Spouse just got Easier for Muslims with the Launch of SoulConnect.Ng

Marriage is an institution that is fundamental to the growth and development of society. In Islam, it is of great importance as it is established as a wedge against many vices and is relied-upon as a foundation for harmony between men and women where natural needs and responsibilities are met.

Allah says in the Qur’an:

"And one of His signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest in them, and He put between you love and compassion; most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect." (Chapter 30 verse 21).

 It was narrated from Aishah that:

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Marriage is part of my sunnah, and whoever does not follow my sunnah has nothing to do with me. Get married, for I will boast of your great numbers before the nations. Whoever has the means, let him get married, and whoever does not, then he should fast for it will diminish his desire” (Ibn Majah, Book 9, 1846).

It is in line with these goals that a new matchmaking website for Muslims has been launched by a group of Muslims in Nigeria. The website called Soulconnect.Ng aims at linking eligible Muslims with their potential spouses based on their preferences. Each user is allowed to register and update their profile to be listed on the website for free. However, only paying users will have access to additional features based on the service they choose which include: monthly, semi annual and annual options. This allows for flexibility and gives people interested an opportunity to invest more in finding a suitable Muslim spouse.

Soulconnect.Ng is an improvement on the Muslim Singles Matchmaking Service (MSMS) which was started on Nairaland.com by a group of Muslim members on the forum in October, 2014. Close to 7 years after, the team has had time to build on its successes in matchmaking Muslims for marriage and establish this new website to take its service to a larger audience.

According to Co-founder/CEO of the website; Architect Yussuf Babatunde Lawal, also known as “Penmight”:  “SoulConnect Matchmaking Service is connecting Muslims and helping to develop a new generation of young Muslim families. Our testimonials speak for us, join us today and experience great service on SoulConnect.Ng where we do things in compliance with Qur’an and Sunnah”.

For Muslims interested in using this service, all they have to do is visit SoulConnect.Ng, create an account, update their profile and engage with the community. There is the option to have chaperones appointed for you on the website to help you navigate the course towards marriage with a potential spouse. Also, to improve the security on the platform, the website has a dedicated team scanning its database and activities of users to identify and remove scammers, users with fake identities and other nefarious individuals.

This is definitely a positive development as we hope to have more success stories from the website soon.

www.soulconnect.ng