Uber sealed a pact with Germaine Auto Centre, a Nigerian based auto service, and maintenance company, to provide maintenance services to its driver partners. With the partnership, which was sealed Friday, July 14, Uber driver operating in Lagos can have their cars maintained and serviced at a world-class auto facility at stipulated fees. Africa Business Communities (ABC) reports that the relationship between both companies, according to Uber, seeks to further reinforce Uber's commitment to driver-partners and create ways for drivers to maximize their net earnings and enjoy the benefits that come with using the Uber app. Maria Rotilu, country's Manager for Uber Nigeria, told newsmen at the briefing that the overall objective of the partnership is to reduce maintenance cost for Uber drivers and encourage maintenance culture. She also disclosed that three years after its debut in Nigeria, Uber had created 3,000 economic opportunities in Nigeria. She said, "Driver-partners across Nigeria are extremely important to us, and we are constantly looking for ways to help them access more value through our many partnerships and further amplify the advantages that come to them from being valuable partners. "Germaine Auto Centre is a market leader, and for as little as N3,000, they will provide vehicle maintenance services to Uber driver-partners in Lagos. "With the current transportation and weather challenges being experienced due to the rainy season, we are happy to enter into this relationship with Germaine who will provide driver-partners with an affordable, reliable option for car servicing and maintenance." Gbenga Omolokun, Managing Director, Germaine Auto Centre, said the partnership with Uber had positioned the company to expand its scope, saying Uber driver-partners would have immediate access to six Master Technicians, over 40 general technicians, affordable parts and vehicle solutions, and an added bonus of over 200 years working experience combined with all sorts of automobiles.

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"At Germaine Auto Centre, our key focus is customer affordability and service efficiency. Dedicated resources have also been put in place to manage this process to ensure driver-partner satisfaction as well as quick turnaround", he added. The vehicle maintenance package, which Uber driver-partners in Nigeria has access to, has gone live after a rigorous two-month successful pilot. Toba, an Uber driver-partner, expressed delight with the partnership, saying it was in fulfillment of their demand during a focus group discussion with Uber. "I was extremely happy when I heard about this new arrangement between Uber and Germaine Auto Centre - vehicle maintenance was one of the issues driver-partners had raised during the focus groups, and I'm glad that Uber listened to us and created a useful partnership like this."