Uber announced the closure of its operations in Nigeria and Uganda with immediate effect on Wednesday, September 2.

The US ride-hailing giant said it had come to the "difficult decision" after a thorough review of its business. It had operated in Nigeria for 12 years and in Uganda for 10 years.

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The announcement came as Uber&039;s chief executive, Dara Khosrowshahi, said the company was cutting its global workforce by 10 per cent.

Over the last year, Uber has also pulled out of Ivory Coast and Tanzania. The latest announcement means Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa are the only African countries in which the firm now operates.

"This decision is limited strictly to these two markets and does not impact our operations across the rest of the continent," Uber said in a statement sent to the BBC.

"We remain committed to sub-Saharan Africa, where we continue to see strong growth and opportunity."

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