Renowned exercise and training hub, i-Fitness Gym, has opened a state-of-the-art facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The imposing fitness hub is located off Ordinance Road, opposite the former corporate office of Greater Port Harcourt Development Agency at the Trans Amadi Industrial area of Garden City. The official unveiling which took place on Saturday attracted dignitaries and people who are in the business of keeping fit across the state.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer/MD, Foluso Ogunwale, a former banker, described it as the ”fastest growing fitness gym in West Africa.”
Ogunwale reiterated that the new fitness centre is now Nigeria’s largest, sitting on 1 Acre of land, with an exercise space (indoor and outdoor) of over 2,000 square metres.
“The facility is built to ensure we provide the people of Port Harcourt an enabling environment to adopt the culture of fitness. Also, a place where people can build friendships and feel a sense of belonging. Joining the i-Fitness network also opens the people of Port Harcourt up to many more i-Fitness branches outside of the state. With 26 branches across Nigeria by December 2023. Fitness has become truly enjoyable to the people of Rivers State.”
He disclosed that the company was founded in 2015 in Lagos and has 18 branches. According to him, the Port Harcourt center is the 19th branch, with the 20th due for launch in a fortnight.
Ogunwale said i-Fitness is built to promote the culture of healthy living. The idea of i-Fitness is to make fitness accessible, affordable and imbibe that culture of healthy living.
According to him, two more centers would be set up in Port Harcourt within 24 months in a total investment valued at N1.2 billion for the three facilities.
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The CEO said the company has a very simple registration process for intending members who are expected to walk into the gym, pick a form and download the app and register on their own with a token of N24,000 per month after the expiration of the ongoing promo of N12,000 per month.
“So everything is done by yourself and we have an auto-renewal system where you don’t need to come to us to renew. You can renew by yourself through your mobile phone.
“And we have introduced all this technology to make sure that the process is really effortless for people. And one of the good things is also that our membership gives one multi-location access; so being a member of i-Fitness in Port Harcourt means you can go to Abuja and use our facilities. Your membership gives you that global access to i-Fitness network”, he explained.
The CEO also pointed out that one factor that puts the company ahead of others throughout West Africa is the quality of its trainers.
“We are the highest employers of personnel trainers in West Africa. So there is that diligence done in ensuring that our personnel trainers are well trained, making sure they are very professional. We ensure they take all kinds of certifications just to ensure they can assist.”
On the future expansion plans, the founder said that by the end of this year, the company is looking at having 26 locations in Nigeria and offshore branches beginning with Ghana and other West African countries as from 2024.
He underscored the essence of taking one’s health seriously: “The cost of health, you cannot estimate it in naira terms. And what would it cost you to have a good liver, good kidney and good heart? “Cardiovascular disease is still the highest killer, the number one cause of death when it comes to non-communicable diseases in the world, accounting for 18 million deaths annually.
“That is enormous. So the amount anyone is paying to be in an enabling environment for fitness is so little compared to their health”, he stated.
He said users derive more value by being exposed to building new relationships of different kinds which have the potential of changing their life.
Some members of the fitness center who spoke in an interview session praised the company, describing the facilities in the gym as world class.
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