Ten years ago, we started MAX with a bold idea: that mobility could be more than moving people and goods, it could be a powerful engine for opportunity, dignity, and sustainability.
What began in 2015 as a small last-mile delivery service in Lagos has evolved into a pioneer shaping the future of mobility in Africa, with the continent’s largest electric vehicle fleet, thousands of empowered riders, and communities transformed across West Africa.
The road has been anything but smooth. We’ve faced policy shocks, infrastructure gaps, and skepticism. But we’ve also seen what’s possible when vision meets resilience. After ten years, here are 10 lessons from our journey — lessons that matter not only for Africa, but for the world.
- Start with People, Not Products
Technology alone doesn’t change lives. Listening to riders, drivers, and communities did. For example, when riders told us their biggest challenge wasn’t access to vehicles but lack of financing and trust from banks, we built the MAX financing model, bundling loans with insurance, maintenance, and health coverage. That shaped everything we are today.
2. Purpose Is Stronger Than Setbacks
The Lagos Okada ban in 2020 could have ended MAX. Instead, it forced us to pivot. We expanded to other regions like Akure and Ibadan., launched new financing products, and doubled down on electric mobility. That moment taught us: when your mission is bigger than the obstacle, setbacks become turning points.
3. Affordability Is the Real Innovation
For emerging markets, the real question isn’t whether people want EVs, it’s whether they can afford them. By pioneering pay-as-you-go financing, a rider in Ibadan who could never walk into a bank for a ₦1 million loan can now own an electric bike by paying gradually from daily earnings. That’s the real innovation.
4. Build Systems, Not Just Solutions
Mobility is an ecosystem: vehicles, batteries, charging, insurance, maintenance, and software. Fixing one in isolation won’t work. That’s why MAX didn’t just introduce EVs. We built battery swapping stations, digital platforms for compliance, and partnerships with energy providers, creating a complete system riders can rely on.
5. Data Drives Trust
In low-trust markets, transparency is everything. With digital tracking of rider performance, payments, and maintenance, we’ve built trust not just with riders but also with regulators and investors. This data-driven approach helped us secure partnerships to deploy EVs across West Africa.
6. Policy Is Not the Enemy
African governments are bold when engaged with respect. In Rwanda, for example, proactive EV incentives are accelerating adoption. In Nigeria, our engagement with regulators has shaped conversations around urban transport and safety. The lesson: don’t fight policy, shape it together.
7. Local Context Creates Global Models
Battery swapping, offline-first apps, bundled services, these weren’t borrowed from Silicon Valley. They came from African realities: unreliable power, limited credit, safety risks. And yet, these models are now studied by global players looking for scalable EV adoption strategies in emerging markets.
8. Resilience Requires Partnership
From investors like Goodwell and Alitheia, to partners like Spiro, Shell Foundation, and communities on the ground, we didn’t build MAX alone.
Resilience comes from shared vision, collaboration is the only way to scale.
9. Every Ride Is Human
Behind every data point is a life. Like Kehinde, a rider in Ibadan who moved from daily rentals to owning his bike through MAX, doubling his income and sending his children to school. Or Grace, who joined our internship program and is now a product manager shaping mobility for thousands. Scale is important, but dignity is priceless.
10. The Future Belongs to the Bold
The next decade will see Africa leapfrog into clean mobility, just like we leapfrogged with mobile money. With courage and collaboration, Africa can lead the world in proving that sustainable, inclusive, and locally-designed mobility is not a dream — it’s already happening.
Riding Ahead
After ten years, we’re humbled by how far we’ve come, but the road ahead is even more critical. Africa is urbanizing faster than any other region, and the world cannot afford for that growth to be locked into fossil fuels and inequitable systems.
Our vision remains simple but urgent: to power mobility that powers lives.
If the first decade was about proving what’s possible, the next decade is about scaling what’s necessary. Together, riders, partners, governments, and communities, we can ensure that the road to the future is green, inclusive, and unstoppable.
This article was written by Adetayo Bamiduro, CEO and Co-founder of MAX — Africa’s leading mobility company on a mission to power the continent’s forward movement. At MAX, we’re making mobility safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable through high-performance technology and inclusive systems that put electric vehicles and opportunity in the hands of riders across Africa. By empowering those who move our cities, we’re building a future where mobility drives progress, dignity, and shared prosperity, because at MAX, every ride empowers.
