Ask many women in Lagos how they got home last night and the answer can involve much more than the route they took. She may have paid for a ride instead of taking public transport, left an event earlier than she wanted to, or turned down an invitation because getting home afterwards felt too difficult. These choices can become so normal that nobody thinks twice about them, yet they can affect where women go, how long they stay and what they feel comfortable doing.
You can see this clearly in how women get around. An Ipsos study commissioned by Bolt in 2025 found that women made up 70 percent of Nigeria’s ride-hailing users, while 95 percent of passengers said ride-hailing was their first choice for late-night trips. That choice becomes harder when fares go up. BusinessDay reported in 2026 that a trip from Abule Ado to Lekki that once cost about ₦4,000 was costing more than ₦10,000. For a woman who chooses a ride because she feels safer using it at night, paying more for the same journey can put even more pressure on her budget.
The decision about whether to go home can also start before an event is over. Research on women’s transport experiences in Lagos found that safety and affordability are major factors in how women move around the city. The study also found that women aged 18 to 34 accounted for 85 percent of those who reported verbal sexual harassment, compared with 15 percent among women aged 35 to 59. The research does not tell us how many women leave events early because they are worried about getting home, but it shows why the journey home can be part of deciding when to leave.
Sometimes, the problem is bigger than getting home from an event. A job that ends late, an evening networking event or an opportunity across town can become harder to take when a woman has to worry about how she will get back. Research on women’s transport in Lagos has linked transport conditions and safety concerns with women’s ability to take part in work and other activities. Getting there may be possible, but she still has to think about what happens when it is time to leave.
After a while, these choices can start to limit everyday life. A woman may spend more on transport, change her plans, leave somewhere early or decide that an opportunity is simply too difficult to take. Each choice may seem small, but together they can affect where she goes, what she does and how freely she can move around the city.
Women should be able to get around Lagos without having to make a safety calculation every time they leave the house. They should be able to stay out, take opportunities and get home without paying more, leaving earlier or giving something up simply because they want to feel safe.
