An app by LisBon Platforms Ltd to connect all commercial vehicles, tricycles and motorbikes, their operators and types of business and routes will commence a trial run in three cities of Delta State on November 18.
LisBon Platforms Ltd said in a statement obtained on Tuesday that the aim is to revolutionise the global informal transport, logistics, and trade sectors, beginning in Nigeria, with a vision to unify Africa into one interconnected market as it expands worldwide.
The launch and trial run, it stated, would take place in Warri, Asaba and Abraka, in Delta State, providing comfort and rewards for users.
It stated, “LisBon is more than just an e-hailing app—it’s a secure, rewarding ecosystem where users and drivers earn for life.
“Recognized by industry analysts as one of the most secure and rewarding transport systems in the world, LisBon operates with only verified drivers and verified users, setting new standards for safety, sustainability, and long-term benefits.”
Apart from the ease and safety guaranteed by use of the app, after each ride, users are expected to receive credit towards their next trip, while drivers benefit from cumulative yearly allowances and can qualify for a retirement pension after eight years of driving on the LisBon platform.
It quoted the founder and CEO of the startup, Mr. Alpha Okechukwu, as succinctly capturing the LisBon’s mission as saying, “We don’t sell transportation. We don’t sell logistics. We don’t sell trade. We don’t sell e-commerce. What LisBon actually sells is wealth, comfort and security. That’s LisBon’s market.
“So LisBon keeps you safe and saves you money while you’re making your money and at the same time gives you a sense of better comfort while you make more money.”
It specifically stated that LisBon connects users to a variety of vehicle options, including cars, minibuses (Maruwa), larger buses (danfo), tricycles (keke), and motorbikes (okada) for areas that standard vehicles might not reach.
The platform offers flexible ride options like Fixed Routes—a shared ride system with fixed pick-up and drop-off points and fixed timings, similar to a bus schedule.
Passengers can subscribe to these routes, making their daily travel both affordable and predictable. —For example, a driver who travels from Asaba to Onitsha every day can set up a Fixed Route on LisBon.
Passengers who need this route can subscribe, and the driver can pick them up along the way, turning their daily commute into a shared journey that earns them money.
According to the statement, while a driver is going on his normal daily routine, subscribers get to go with him, so he earns from them while he’s doing his own business, at. At the same time, users get paid some money for their next trip.
LisBon said it prioritises passenger safety by verifying every user, ensuring a secure and reliable experience. Both drivers and passengers benefit financially.
Drivers are said to earn additional income by sharing their rides, “while passengers save money on transportation costs by over 60%.
With LisBon, users earn for life by inviting friends and family to join the LisBon community.
“Every time your invited friends use LisBon, you get paid—not just for a day, a month, or a year, but for a lifetime!”
Ahead of the launch, he said LisBon had secured a partnership with DelFest 2024, Delta State’s inaugural festival, scheduled for November 22 – 24, 2024. As DelFest’s official transport partner, he said LisBon aimed to provide seamless, secure and cost-effective rides for festival attendees.
Alpha said, “DelFest is very interesting. I like what they are doing. It seems visionary and something that has value to the people, and I admire what they are bringing to the people and that’s growth.
“So, I saw what they’re doing and I said, ‘if we become DelFest’s official transport partner, that could bring value both ways,’ because LisBon is going to be in the market from November 18, 2024, and DelFest is November 22 – 24, 2024.
“People can then use LisBon. When LisBon becomes DelFest’s official transport partner, DelFest can become iconic every single year.”
Alpha also spoke on his driving force recalling that he had a messianic complex for Nigeria and the continent, Africa, partly fuelled by his grandfather’s prophesy that he would do great things for his people.
He left for the UAE to seek his fortune, He started as a fitness trainer and cleaner, but he quickly took on sales responsibilities and broke records, despite receiving no commissions.
Driven by ambition, he worked hard and took risks to grow, but setbacks left him homeless for a longtime while struggling to find work.
Undeterred, he began working for free, eventually advancing into a formal sales role where he continued breaking records.
After saving enough, he set his sights on launching his own tech company, focusing on six essential features that he believed his technology company must have to be worth giving his life for.
“I now had a vision to start my own technology business, but it has to have six criteria if it’s to succeed as well as drive growth for my people. It has to be a product that has the potential to become a company with the potential to become the most valuable company in the world by 2050; that was the first major criterion.
“Second is that it has to serve a large market and a large number of people; that means it has to be built for frequent daily usage which is the third. “The fourth is that this product has to solve more than one problem at the same time in one place, and the fifth one is that it has to give back to people somehow.
“The sixth and last is that it has to bring value back to Africa and set our country and continent right where it needs to be. So these are the six criteria my technology product has to meet.”
