The Uber pulled up to the grey storey building at the end of the street. “We’re here,” I said. We paid the driver in cash, got out of the car and walked in through the small white gate.
As we climbed up the stairs, I noticed the designs on the wall. Milky white background with grey lettering on it. Impressive. It was the kind of thing you’d find in an organization particular about aesthetics.
We got there too early because we were trying to compensate for Lagos traffic. They weren’t expecting us until noon and it wasn’t even 11:30am yet. Through the glass door, we could see them holding a team meeting. “They’re having a family meeting,” I said to Osarumen, before he shot me a ‘WTH?’ look.
We went in and made ourselves comfortable on a couch in the waiting area. In the waiting area, there is a carpet made of shredded leather.
Once they were done with their team meeting, Editi came out to welcome us. They he invited us into the conference room.
To our right was a widescreen TV and a large table in the middle of the room. The table, as with most others in the office, is made of recycled wood, and at the top is tempered glass; it’s really heavy.
There’s a plant in the room, and it’s not just there for decoration. It’s put there to provide oxygen to the room because the windows around the office are always shut. Every other room in the office has at least one of them.
Anakle runs a flat organization and most of the employees, except Muna and Editi, work from the same room. Editi tells us that the average age of employees at Anakle is 23.5. “I’m the oldest, but thankfully not the smartest,” he says.
Opposite the staff room is the ‘rehab room’. It’s where they go to hangout and relax, or have alone time. There’s a vinyl record player, a small shelf for books and a TV.
Anakle’s young squad
Editi Effiong, CEO
Munachi Ekpo, COO
Since moving into their new office space from Ikoyi, Anakle have set up a fund to help some employees relocate so they can live closer to the office. Living on the Island in Lagos is significantly more expensive than living on the mainland and not a lot of young people can afford the financial weight. Furthermore, the stress that comes with heavy Lagos traffic is sure to hamper productivity, talk less of all the time wasted, sitting in traffic. They had considered turning the old space to a halfway house but the team voted against it.
Editi told us that they were involved in the new building’s construction process. They wanted a space that would reflect their culture and values: happiness and excellence. When they started looking for a new office, they wanted a space in Ikoyi but couldn’t find any that suited their taste. When they turned their attention to Lekki, they came across their current spot that same day. They paid the lease and become involved in the building process, redesigning some parts of the building to reflect what they wanted their office to be like.
