Nigerian comedian and filmmaker Ayo Makun, popularly known as AY, has attracted attention online after sharing his experience with a driverless Uber during a visit to Atlanta, United States.
The comedian documented the unusual ride in a video posted on social media, expressing amazement at being transported without a human driver behind the wheel. His experience prompted him to draw a humorous comparison between advanced technology in the United States and what he described as the use of “juju” in parts of Africa.
AY said the vehicle, which he identified as a Jaguar, was able to drive itself after he unlocked and started the ride using his mobile phone.
“See, na this car dey drive by itself. Na my Uber be this. E dey carry me they go,” he said while recording the journey.
He went on to question the pace of technological advancement in Africa, joking about when traditional practices would receive a similar “upgrade.”
“I entered Uber in Atlanta… na Jaguar, but driver no dey! Oyibo don use technology make motor drive itself. Meanwhile, for Africa, our jazz na to dey turn people into yam. When our own juju go upgrade?” AY wrote.
Although delivered in his characteristic comedic style, the remarks have opened a wider conversation about technology, innovation and development. Some of the reactions online focused on the novelty of driverless transportation, while others engaged with AY’s humorous contrast between modern technology and traditional African beliefs.
Driverless vehicles use technologies such as cameras, sensors, artificial intelligence and digital mapping to navigate roads with limited or no direct human control. Such systems are becoming increasingly visible in parts of the United States, although their deployment remains subject to safety, regulatory and public-acceptance considerations.
For Nigerian audiences, AY’s experience also offered a glimpse into a transportation model that remains largely unfamiliar in Nigeria, where ride-hailing services typically depend on human drivers.
AY, whose full name is Ayo Makun, is one of Nigeria’s prominent comedians, actors and filmmakers. His latest video has therefore combined entertainment with a discussion about the growing global impact of autonomous technology and Africa’s place in the future of innovation.
