Tacci, a Nigerian mobility startup, is positioning itself as a catalyst for safer, more transparent, and more accessible commuting across Africa.
Founded by Premier Dominic, Tacci is building what it calls “a smart, safe, and transparent commuting ecosystem for urban Africa.”
In this edition of Techparley’s DRIVE100, where we spotlight Africa’s most promising and impactful startups, we turn our attention to how Tacci is redefining how everyday Africans experience safety, trust, and convenience in public transportation.
“We are providing a safer public commuting system, reducing the issue with cash friction and improving the overall well-being of average Africans who rely on public transportation for their day to day trip,” Dominic told Techparley.
What You Should Know
Tacci believes safety should not be a privilege reserved for those who can afford e-hailing services. It should be a basic right available to every commuter, regardless of income or economic background.
The problems Tacci seeks to solve are familiar to anyone who has taken a bus, taxi, or shared ride across a major Nigerian city. These include:
- Uncertainty about driver identity
- Inability to verify who is behind the wheel
- Cash friction and lack of digital payment options
- Frequent fare disputes
- Long waiting times and inconsistency in service
- Limited access to transport credit for low-income commuters
Tacci says its platform directly addresses these issues by creating a verified driver ecosystem, digital payment channels, and a transparent fare system designed to eliminate arguments and build trust between drivers and passengers.
Solving the Problem at the Grassroots
While many mobility companies in Nigeria focus on premium or middle-class users, Tacci intentionally targets the grassroots, the vast majority of Nigerians who cannot afford ride-hailing services and often depend on ageing, informal systems.
“We are ensuring that safety isn’t a privilege but a right,” Dominic explains. “The average Nigerian commuter deserves transparency, security, and convenience.”
In a space dominated by Cowry, a digital transport card operator, Tacci differentiates itself by building a holistic platform that integrates safety, payments, and commuter data into one ecosystem.
Tacci launched in Abuja and quickly recorded impressive early traction. Within just one month, the platform says it onboarded over 1,700 verified drivers, and more than 100 active users, with steady weekly growth
For a new startup entering a highly fragmented public transport sector, this level of adoption signals both market acceptance and demand for more structured mobility solutions.
The Team Behind the Vision
Tacci is led by a small but experienced founding team, including:
- Premier Dominic, CEO: A data analyst and business intelligence specialist with years of experience working in corporate organisations. Dominic leads strategy and product direction.
- Emmanuel Ogbor, COO: With deep industry experience in mobility operations, Ogbor oversees driver relationships, compliance, and on-ground execution.
- Dan Possible Praise, CTO: A full-stack developer responsible for product infrastructure, platform development, and security architecture.
Before Tacci, all three founders worked in corporate roles, giving them the technical and operational grounding needed to tackle a challenge as complex as public transport.
Biggest Obstacles
Like many early-stage African startups, Tacci says its greatest challenge has been funding, particularly the capital needed to scale operations, market aggressively, and expand technology infrastructure.
To manage this, the team is leveraging micro-influencers, community leaders, and aligned brands to build awareness organically and educate commuters on how safer transport systems work.
Over the next 6–12 months, Tacci plans an aggressive expansion into every state in Nigeria.
In the next 2–5 years, the company aims to consolidate its nationwide network, expand into multiple African countries, and build a unified commuter identity and payment system for the continent.
Dominic describes this as “a future where transport across Africa becomes predictable, safe, and data-driven.”
What Government Needs to Do
When asked what the government can do to support innovation, Dominic emphasises an enabling environment.
Clearer policies, predictable regulations, and supportive digital infrastructure, he says, are critical for Nigerian startups to scale sustainably.
If he were Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, he adds, he would focus on removing policy barriers and fostering systems that allow entrepreneurs to innovate without fear of instability.
For Dominic, capital is also only the beginning. The most valuable contribution a VC can make is network, specifically, opening doors that accelerate scaling, partnerships, regulatory navigation, and regional expansion.
What This Means
The Tacci founder also points to broader issues stifling Africa’s tech ecosystem, including limited access to funding, low digital literacy, slow embrace of innovation, and restrictive or unfriendly policies.
By 2025, the Public Transportation market in Nigeria is expected to generate a revenue of US$1.61 billion. In the following years, an annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) of 6.31% is projected, which will lead to a market volume of US$2.18 billion by 2030. As for the number of users in this market, it is expected to reach 181.60m users by 2030.
Dominic believes these are precisely why solutions like Tacci must exist, to create new pathways for innovation that elevate the everyday African experience.
Tacci’s ambition is to transform one of Africa’s most chaotic sectors into one of its most trusted. By focusing on grassroots users, verified safety, transparency, and commuter empowerment, experts say the company is positioned as a promising player in Africa’s mobility evolution.
Talking Points
Tacci’s focus on creating a safer and more transparent public transport system stands out in a sector where insecurity, unreliable payments, and driver anonymity remain major concerns for millions of Nigerians.
By verifying drivers, reducing cash friction, and introducing transparent fare processes, Tacci directly addresses the everyday struggles commuters face, positioning itself as a practical solution in a system long defined by informality and unpredictability.
At Techparley, we recognise how innovations like this can meaningfully improve urban mobility, particularly for low-income earners who rely heavily on public transport and are often excluded from digital mobility solutions.
As Tacci expands nationwide, there is a significant opportunity for it to become a cornerstone of Africa’s emerging smart-mobility infrastructure. With the right support, the platform could play a pivotal role in redefining commuter safety, financial inclusion, and transport transparency across the continent.
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