i-Fitness Expands to Become West Africa’s First, Fastest Growing Chain

Rebecca Ejifoma 

To promote a healthy lifestyle among Nigerians in the Lekki-Jakande and Ogba areas of Lagos State, i-Fitness, West Africa’s fastest and growing fitness chain recently unveiled two new branches in the heart of Lagos. 

Speaking at the launch ceremony held on Saturday, February 26 this year, the Founder and MD i-Fitness, Foluso Ogunwale, said their decision to open new outlets was to help Nigerians, particularly those in urban communities, keep a healthy lifestyle.

Ogunwale also outlined that the new branches would offer the opportunity for urban individuals to access the best of facilities for a hearty lifestyle. 
According to him, it became imperative to establish the company in 2015 to address the alarming rate of death caused by non-communicable diseases. 

Quoting a 2021 global report from World Health Organisation (WHO), he said it “had estimated death arising from non-communicable diseases globally to be about 71 per cent noting that this was a wake-up call that led to the planting of fitness chains across Lagos state.

“We are very excited to build the first fitness chain Nigeria has ever seen starting from Lagos. We have 14 locations now but we will be having 15 by next Monday.  We are more excited because we have the rare opportunity to create the path in the industry, creating over 400 jobs.”

While adding that i-Fitness currently has the highest engagement of personal trainers in West Africa, Ogunwale admitted that this gives them the privilege to assist these vibrant, youthful people with a means of decent livelihood. 

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Michael Ikpoki, highlighted that the company remains committed to supporting Nigerians in living a healthier lifestyle by creating new outlets in several locations, particularly in urban cities such as Lagos and Abuja.

Ikpoki pointed out that setting up a new fitness location is simply to provide opportunities for more Nigerians to access world-class gym facilities.

“For every outlet we open, we try to improve standards or raise the bar in terms of structure, appeal, look or ambiance,” he said. 

The chairman stressed that the company would continue to play its part in creating jobs and contributing to the Lagos economy through the establishment of outlets. 

One of the individuals, who registered at the Lekki outlet, Abigael Simon-Wilcox, expressed that joining i-Fitness is to assist in achieving her fitness goals. 

“Fitness is very important because we all need to live a healthy lifestyle. I tried to do about 10,000 steps a day but at some points, there was no motivation. But now that I have a closer place, I am motivated to achieve my daily exercise”, Simon-Wilcox said.