Thousands of dispatch riders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) staged a protest on February 19, 2026, against the introduction of a new ₦15,000 permit fee and what they describe as burdensome double taxation.
The demonstrators in their numbers gathered at the FCTA Secretariat, halting logistics operations, demanding the harmonization of revenue collection across the capital.
Before the protest, riders are legally required to pay annual levies to Area Councils, which include the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, and Gwagwalada. However, the emergence of a new ₦15,000 paper permit, combined with the revenue demands from the FCT Administration (FCTA), has created an environment of double taxation.
The protest was organized to resolve the recurring disputes between the central FCT authorities and the six Area Councils over who hold the constitutional right to collect operational fees from small businesses and logistics providers.
Daily Tech Nigeria gathered that riders were reportedly asked to pay ₦25,000 by a new FCTA revenue collector, nearly double the ₦13,000 they usually pay to their individual Area Councils.
Protesters alleged that many motorcycles have been impounded by security agents, with owners forced to pay the ₦15,000 or ₦25,000 fees to secure their release.
Protesters also decries the payment of market entry fees, where riders are charged ₦300 for every single delivery made within major Abuja markets.
The Dispatch Riders stressed that the current tax regime is crippling their livelihoods. They stated that they are not opposed to legitimate taxation but are being exploited by duplicate and unclear charges that do not reflect their actual daily earnings.
“We riders know it is our statutory obligation to pay tax, and we have been complying… but all of a sudden, another group of tax collectors emerged from nowhere with another demand in the name of the FCT Administration, asking for a higher tax compared with what we pay to AMAC” – Olawale Ilesanmi
The governing body in response to the grievances of the protesting protesters, have promised to investigate the allegations of illegal extortion and work toward a more transparent revenue framework.
The protest was later suspended after an agreement between the representatives of the riders and the FCT Transportation Secretariat was reached.
Meanwhile, logistics operators warned that they would resume protests if the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, does not intervene to permanently unify the tax collection process.
