(Updated) Want a Comprehensive List of the Coworking Spaces in Lagos? Here You Go
(Updated March 2017)
Lagos has the most valuable startup ecosystem in Africa, with the local entrepreneurship scene worth US$2 billion, according to a report by Startup Genome.
With the rate at which new businesses spring up every month in the city and the amount of attention founders are getting from investors, local and international, angels and VCs, it’s not that big a surprise.
Lagos also happens to be one of the toughest cities to start a business on earth.
It currently sits in the top 20 most expensive cities for startups to rent and occupy office space, (number one in Africa) and is also the 7th most expensive city in the world to live and work in (again number one in Africa).
Now more than ever, coworking spaces are making a lot of sense. They’re more affordable, full of enterprising professionals like you, and most are cooler and finer than any office your startup could afford right now.
And as power and stable internet are still a luxury these days, it’s wiser to work out of a coworking space in Lagos if you want to make the remote working thing actually work.
The last thing you want is your boss changing his mind about letting you work remotely after going through all the stress of convincing him to let you try it out.
If you are looking for co-working spaces in Lagos for your team or as an individual, start from here:
Run by the lovely Modupe Macaulay, Capital Square is the first, privately owned, solely coworking space in Lagos. It is also one of the nicest-looking. A new branch (affectionately called The Studio) just opened in Ikoyi this year. They also run a quarterly Demo Day, which is sort of a show and tell, where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas and get feedback from the community. The turnout is usually impressive. Since opening the first space in Lekki in 2013, CapitalSquare has grown to become one of the most popular and endearing coworking spaces in Nigeria, offering workshops and clinics and other beneficial services for members.
Venia Hub provides serviced and virtual offices for entrepreneurs and business people. The company also offers training, seminars and conferences and even more importantly, links businesses to a pool of investors and financial partners for financial support and startup capital. Venia Hub’s target market is a bit higher up the rung of the business/income ladder. They have everything from serviced office spaces to collaborative workspaces and virtual offices. Your business has to “solve community problems and add significant value to the lives of people in the locations.
You can walk into the two branches (both in Lekki) anytime to take a tour of the place, free snacks included.
Litcaf is a hub for private intellectual activities housed in the E-Centre at Yaba. There’s a nice little coworking community brewing with digital entrepreneurs, coders and writers all camping out in the space. You could also just walk in and get a book and read. Wifi and Coffee is available. And lots of books. I mean lots (it’s right there in the name — LitCaf means Literature Cafe) Plus, they have an amazing breakfast menu.
Terrakulture is many things to many people. Restaurant, bookshop, art gallery, and most importantly, for our purpose, a co-working space. It has air conditioning, stable power supply, free Wi-Fi and lovely ambience. There’s also a study room which is available for daily use and there’s a monthly membership plan. The vibe is good here with the ethnic artwork and upscale customers.
Cre8 is Nigeria’s first fintech hub with accompanying coworking space. Cre8 provides a meeting point for technology startups, venture capitalists and established banks to collaborate and grow the fledgling industry. Part of its services include providing workspaces to young startups and businesses as well as access to mentors from the Nigerian financial services sector. It’s pretty upscale, in look and in pricing.
Cranium One is a shared workspace for entrepreneurs and small businesses. They have private offices, a hot desk and dedicated desks for those with more extensive workspace needs. There’s a communal kitchen and dining area that’s perfect for building relationships, formal or informal. The owners have shown their willingness to support entrepreneurs in several ways one of which was last year’s offer to give a startup free office space for a month.
Seedspace is an international coworking brand with a branch in Lagos, Nigeria. Seedspace Lagos has a bevy of workspace options. Shared desks, dedicated desks, private offices and lots of open spaces for events. Wi-Fi access, printer, meeting rooms, lounge, kitchen & coffee are a few perks of coworking at Seedspace. There’s also a co-living arrangement in the brew and will be made available before the year runs out. That’s not all. There’s a pool and a gym.
Talk about launching with your A-game.
After functioning as a tech hub for about 2 years, the Passion Incubator launched its own co-working space, called Leadspace in October 2016. With seed investment from Leadpath, the plan is to grow Leadspace into the single largest network of shared office facilities in Nigeria.
With their range of functional office space for entrepreneurs, founders of small and medium size businesses, middle level corporate executives, independent freelancers and creative artists, it’s clear Leadspace has the 21st century business man in mind. They also offer ancillary services to their community of coworkers including Legal, Accounting and Media/PR.
For years, ReDahlia International Limited has fostered business productivity by providing business solutions via its business-focused blog; consulting and events management. In February 2017, the company opened a coworking space (ReDahlia Workspaces) for small and medium entrepreneurs. Located on the Lagos Mainland, ReDahlia Workspaces offers businesses shared cubicles, shared desks, private desks, private offices, and virtual office service. Also, members of ReDahlia’s coworking community have access to meeting rooms, meal and games break rooms. Also, free coffee are part of the ReDahlia experience.
360 Creative Hub is the first fashion coworking space in Lagos. 360 Creative Hub launched in October 2016 to help fashion entrepreneurs access their own private space where they can work on designs and find specific machines they need for production. Located on the mainland, the Hub lowers the barrier to entry for aspiring fashion designers while granting them access to mentorship and possible funding opportunities. They have membership subscriptions that range from 30 days to a full year.
Stranger is part concept boutique, stocking alternative international and local fashion brands; part mini café and bar, serving freshly brewed continental teas, coffees, pastries and light snacks; and part co-working space, allowing customers to have access to free Wi-Fi and workspaces.
But for the life of me, I don’t know why they do not open on Mondays. “Strange” to say the least (not surprising, it does say Stranger on the signboard outside). Did I mention the really good WiFi?
CcHub is the first tech innovation hub in Lagos (opened in 2012) and it’s also the most popular. It’s one of the foundations on which the Lagos tech startup scene was built, having been home to a bunch of successful Lagos startups. It combines multiple fronts: an incubator, an accelerator and a collaborative workspace. Sometime in June 2016, it made access to its coworking space and facilities free. Which just made it shoot up every remote worker’s list.
IdeaHub is an accelerator/incubator that comes with a complimentary coworking space. It’s a professional and fun space for designers, developers, freelancers, and techpreneurs to collaborate.
V8 Valley
V8 Ventures is an accelerator and in November 2016, they created a coworking space called V8 Valley, for new and growing businesses. Apart from just providing a space to work, V8 also actively helps members improve their skills and grow their businesses, via a variety of workshops, training, and networking events, specifically tailored to participants’ needs.
Lagos CoWork
A1 Spaces
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