Coworking Spaces in Nigeria's Major Cities

The need for flexible work environments continues to be a constant feature of Nigeria’s evolving economy, especially with increasing technological innovation, remote work, and digital nomadism. This need has led to the emergence of coworking spaces as a possible solution to cater to the work demands of many professionals, including remote freelancers, startups, and established businesses alike. 

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In Nigeria’s major cities, such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, coworking spaces are becoming vital hubs for creativity and entrepreneurship, reflecting the dynamic spirit of the country’s workforce. This post explores some coworking spaces across some of Nigeria’s major cities, highlighting their unique features, amenities, and the vibrant communities they nurture. 

Coworking Spaces Explained

Coworking and coworking spaces are terms that describe a working model of work where individuals and organisations utilise communal office spaces provided by another party. The key characteristic of coworking spaces is that resources are shared among all members. 

Top coworking space providers usually have a wide variety of workspaces that cater to the diverse workstyles and needs of both individual workers and organisations of all sizes. 

One of the earliest examples of modern coworking dates back to 1995 in Berlin, Germany, with the emergence of C-Base, a ‘hackerspace' launched by some computer engineers as a forum for computer enthusiasts to gather and share their expertise, ideas, and equipment.

Ten years later, Brad Neuberg started the coworking movement in San Fransico, USA. He was then working remotely as a consultant but later became frustrated at working alone and hence desired to build a community of workers. 

Brad subsequently created the new kind of space he had in mind, one that would support the community building he longed for. His coworking concept attracted the attention of others (including Tara Hunt and Chris Messina) who saw the concept’s potential.

Benefits Of Coworking Spaces

Coworking spaces are not becoming popular for no reason. Whether you're a digital nomad, a startup, or a well-established business, the following are some benefits you can derive from using a coworking space.

• Provision of serene and conducive environments for work
• Access to modern state-of-the-art amenities
• Greater productivity
• Access to community membership, events, and educational resources
• Elimination of the loneliness and boredom that may come with working alone
• Opportunities to network, collaborate, share ideas, and learn from others
• Enhanced work-life balance
• Cost-effectiveness

A List Of Coworking Spaces In Nigeria’s Major Cities

Africa’s most populous country boasts several cities where you can find a coworking space without much stress. Let’s examine some coworking spaces in three of its most popular cities: Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.

Lagos

Lagos, Nigeria’s sprawling economic powerhouse and Africa’s seventh-largest economy, ranks among the cities with the most coworking spaces in the continent. Here are a few of them:

Cafe One

Café One is a coffee shop, coworking space, and financial services provider on a mission to foster communities of individuals who share common interests and goals. They have designed their spaces to provide an inclusive environment that promotes ideation, co-creation, networking, and cups of coffee.

Visitors will enjoy access to hot desks, dedicated desks, venues for business meetings and sector-based events, high-speed internet, a networking community and more.

The company has seven branches in Lagos and others in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Ibadan, and South Kaduna. You can visit Café One from 8 am to 8 pm (Nigeria time) between Mondays and Fridays, 10 am to 8 pm on Saturdays, and 11 am to 8 pm on Sundays.

Workstation

Located in Victoria Island, Lagos, Workstation is an organisation that brings productive people together through shared workspaces, special events, social spaces and its digital member network. The company says that its mission is to drive innovation throughout Africa by providing entrepreneurs, creatives, start-ups, and small businesses with dynamic, curated workspaces designed to cultivate creativity, increase productivity, and encourage community building.

Its state-of-the-art facilities are designed to have a variety of seating options, offices, fast reliable WiFi, color printers, scanners, copiers, free coffee and other beverages, virtual assistance, and more. Workstation has web app that allows members to access its community any time, any day from any location. 

Apart from its Victoria Island facility, Workstation also has a branch in Ghana. Additional branches are planned for Abuja, Port Harcourt, South Africa, and Kenya. Their workers are every day from 9 am to 5 pm.

Hub30

Hub30 is a community of freelancers, innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, creatives, professionals, and remote workers. It offers 30 homely coworking spaces in a serene environment in Festac town Lagos. Guests to these spaces will enjoy free parking, constant power supply with backup, free internet access, a mail and package handling service, and a state-of-the-art air conditioning system. 

Guests will also get printing and photocopy stations, free access to the kitchenette and lounge, complimentary caffeine and healthy drinking water, online member resources, and much more.

To encourage increased membership in its community of 80 members, Hub30 offers rewards to members who refer a friend to sign up for any of its workspace plans. 

Once your referral signs up, you’ll get 10% of their first purchase as credit to be used at Hub30 (for commissions N2000 or lower), or cash (for commissions above N2000). The new member will also get a 5% discount for joining through Hub30’s referral program. Hub30 is open from 9 am to 6 pm, Mondays to Fridays, and 10 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.

Abuja

Though much less vibrant than Lagos, Nigeria’s political and administrative capital is a rapidly growing city with a multi-ethnic workforce and lots of great places to visit. Official figures put its population in 2016 at 3,564,126. This population size should have increased significantly after several years. Below are some of the coworking spaces you’ll find in the most well-planned city in Nigeria.

Welcome2Africa International

Welcome2Africa International is a trade and investment facilitation company with a special focus on Nigeria’s agricultural and maritime industries. The company, which is based in Wuse II, Abuja, and London, UK, also provides coworking spaces for social meetings, networking events, training programs, and more. 

Spaces are available on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. Community members will enjoy a serene working environment, free internet connection, a dedicated desk, complimentary coffee, a socialisation network, and a private office option. Their office hours are 9 am to 6 pm, Mondays to Fridays. 

The BUNker

Also located in Wuse II, Abuja, The BUNker provides comfortable, diverse, and flexible coworking spaces to support the business goals of its clients. Users have access to a parking space, uninterrupted power supply, high-speed WiFi, a wellness room, office supplies, mail and packaging, and community events. 

Other amenities include video projection and conferencing tools for team creative brainstorming sessions and collaborative meetings, cleaning services, daily craft coffee, and dining options. 

The company promises a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a full refund for those who are not satisfied. Apart from Abuja, The BUNker also operates in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, and Uyo. They are available from 9 am to 9 pm, Mondays to Saturdays.

Tongston Entrepreneurial Hub

Tongston Entrepreneurial Hub provides value-oriented workspaces such as coworking spaces, entrepreneurial workspaces, training rooms, virtual offices, and meeting rooms in Abuja’s Central Business District. It is part of the multi-award-winning Tongston Entrepreneurship Group.

They provide members of their community with lots of amenities such as WiFi, TV screens and Whiteboards, video and audio-conferencing facilities, a photography and videography studio, free parking, easy access to Bolt, Uber, Rider ng, public transportation, and more.  

The company also has an onsite team that can arrange food and refreshments for those who need them. Members can access its fully equipped pantry. Subscribing to their virtual office provides you with a business address that is valid for tax and incorporation purposes.

Apart from workspaces, Tongston also offers education courses on entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, programming, finance and fund-raising, career and business advisory and data science. It is also into media, HR, legal, administration, and accounting. You can visit the hub from 9 am to 5 pm, Mondays to Fridays.

Port Harcourt

Port Harcourt, one of Nigeria’s largest cities, is not only an oil and gas hub but also a significant contributor to the country’s financial, manufacturing, telecoms, and transport sectors, among others. Though its coworking spaces industry is not as large as Lagos and Abuja, you’ll still have some decent options if you find yourself in the Garden City. Some of these options include:

KoWork NG

KoWork NG is a workspace provider whose mission is to proactively bridge the gap between workspace requirement and total business satisfaction. It operates the following three hubs in Port Harcourt: 

• Embassy Hub: Designed to cater to the needs of the premium client who needs a luxurious office with no hassle.
• Legacy Hub: Aims to deliver a pleasant ambiance to its residents and is the hub of choice for established brands coming into Port Harcourt, NGOs, and international organisations.
• The Phoenix Hub: KoWork NG’s newest hub in Port Harcourt. Ideal for new entrepreneurs and SMEs.

If you need a business address, you can get one through a KoWork NG virtual office. KoWork NG is located in the GRA area of Port Harcourt. It operates from 8 am to 5 pm from Mondays to Fridays and from 10:30 am to 3 pm on Saturdays.

SpaceTrax Innovation Hub

SpaceTrax Innovation Hub focuses on enabling startups and small businesses to operate seamlessly by providing affordable and creative office spaces that drive business growth through collaboration and innovation. The company’s vision is to be the leading office space solution provider in Africa, providing the best of services to businesses.

Why Choose SpaceTrax? The company offers a host of workspace amenities such as a secure, conducive environment, steady power supply, high-speed Starlink internet access, complimentary coffee/tea, and a fitness club, among others.

You can enjoy more privacy and focus by opting for SpaceTrax Hub’s private offices with access to printers and more. They’ll also provide you with a virtual Port Harcourt address for your business. SpaceTrax Innovation Hub is based in the Ada George area of Port Harcourt. In terms of office hours, visitors can access SpaceTrax facilities between 9 am and 5 am from Mondays to Fridays and on Saturdays from 6:30 am to 2 am.

Pyale WorkHub

Whether you’re looking for a coworking space, a private office, or a virtual office, Pyale WorkHub offers a range of workspaces to suit your needs. These modern and comfortable spaces are designed to meet the needs of entrepreneurs, freelancers, and remote workers. 

They are equipped with everything you need to succeed, for example, parking space, high-speed internet powered by Starlink, printing and scanning equipment, and refreshments.  If you refer a client to them, they will pay you a commission equal to 5% of the first booking fee (excluding VAT) from your referral. 

You can use Pyale WorkHub as your formal office address as long as you have subscribed to their virtual office plan. Their workspaces can be booked on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. They are open 8 am to 5 pm, Mondays to Fridays, and 9 am to 3 pm on Saturdays.

Conclusion 

Nigeria’s major cities, such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, are in many ways a reflection of its vibrant economy, one of the largest in Africa. These cities have not only embraced modern phenomena like remote work and digital nomadism but have also caught up with the global trend of increased coworking space adoption. 

Apart from the coworking spaces highlighted in this post, you’ll find several other quality options in these and other cities in Nigeria. More details about coworking spaces in Africa can be found here.