In Nigeria, 'japa' is no longer just slang: it's how HR directors describe the steady exit of doctors, engineers, developers and bankers to the UK, Canada or the United States. Those who stay in Lagos face workdays that start before dawn to beat the go-slow on Third Mainland Bridge or Lekki-Epe, offices with diesel generator noise and fumes, and few chances to move or eat well during the day. Keeping that team takes more than salary. Fitwel, created by the U.S. CDC and GSA, certifies that the building works in favor of people's health: break spaces, inviting stairs, safe drinking water, healthy food, lactation rooms, emergency protocols and smoke-free areas. For banks, fintechs, telecoms and multinationals on Victoria Island, in Ikoyi or in Abuja's central business district, it's a concrete, verifiable commitment to talent rather than a promise.
Assessment: we evaluate the building against the applicable Fitwel scorecard, focusing on drinking water, break spaces, surrounding environment and generator placement.
Registration and strategy: we register the project with Fitwel and set the target level, from one to three stars, together with the owner and the HR team.
Implementation: we coordinate water stations, break areas, stairs and protected outdoor spaces, and draft policies on healthy food, smoke-free spaces, lactation and emergencies.
Certification: we manage the review, secure the seal valid for three years and set up the recertification plan.
Fitwel charges a registration fee and a per-building certification fee, with special terms for portfolios. Since it doesn't require on-site performance testing, the total cost is well below WELL's. Physical investment usually focuses on drinking water systems, break areas, stair signage and reorganizing spaces near generators. The process takes 4 to 8 months for existing buildings, and certification is valid for three years.
On its own it won't close the pay gap with jobs abroad, but it does tackle part of what wears people down: workdays with no real breaks, lack of safe water, noisy environments and no chance to move. A workplace that verifiably takes care of those details is one more reason to stay.
Fitwel doesn't measure emissions on site the way WELL does, but it does reward policies and design that keep pollution sources away from entrances, air intakes and break areas, and that establish smoke-free zones. In Lagos we apply those criteria specifically to generator placement and operation.
Fitwel costs considerably less than WELL because it requires neither on-site testing nor mandatory prerequisites. For an existing building, the process takes 4 to 8 months on average.
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