Offline contexts of online jobs: Platform drivers, decent work, and informality in Lagos, Nigeria

Motivation The Sustainable Development Goals targets include decent work for all by 2030 but progress in sub-Saharan Africa has been slow. Over the past five years, platform sector (e-hailing platforms particular) expanded considerably on continent, providing opportunities to growing urban populations. quality of this work, however, is heavily contested. Purpose We deepen and extend our understanding gig economy assess its potential creating work. Our unique contribution lies looking at comparison local threshold (the informal economy) as opposed wage employment. Methods approach first review literature economy, sector, low- lower-middle-income countries. then draw a case study e-hailing Lagos, Nigeria, sector’s create discuss findings against four pillars International Labour Organization’s Decent Work Agenda: productive employment, labour standards, social protection, dialogue. Findings find that may offer certain gains compared regular taxiing these are context- platform-specific. Examples access insurance, credit, cash transfers. Gig remains embedded economy: it unregulated does not abide standards nor protections. also evidence well-organized movements. Policy implications E-hailing be intermediation facilitates outreach matching, translating into increased wages. This happens with added cost longer working hours absence standards. propose exploring role digital records kept (e.g. income volume regularity, or customer ratings data) facilitate progressive transition transport workers towards formality. recommend fostering industry (such fair certification) protect workers’ rights.