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By Chukwuma Umeorah
Nigerian wellness brand, Oríkì Group, has announced plans to establish 100 wellness centres across Africa as it marks its 10th anniversary.
Founder and CEO, Joycee Awosika, disclosed this during a media briefing in Lagos ahead of the anniversary event scheduled for October 26.
Awosika said the expansion aligns with the company’s goal to build the infrastructure of Africa’s wellness industry and increase the continent’s contribution to the global wellness economy valued at $6.3 trillion.
She noted that Oríkì’s next phase would include wellness tourism, hotels and resort facilities in multiple African countries, even as the company currently operates in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda. “The global wellness economy is projected to hit $9 trillion by 2028, yet sub-Saharan Africa isn’t even rated at one percent in Global Wellness Institute reports.
Oríkì is taking up that space,” she said. “For us, wellness is not just business; it’s about true, intentional care for people. We are people-focused and our work is to make care accessible, sustainable and empowering.
“Now, we’re building the infrastructure of the wellness industry across Africa,” she added.
Founded in 2014, Oríkì started as a skincare and spa brand promoting African botanicals, such as shea, moringa and hibiscus. “It started as a vision to proudly take African ingredients and show the world how powerful African botanicals are,” Awosika said. She added that the brand’s evolution was shaped by innovation and adaptability, citing the creation of Unwind by Oríkì, its mobile service initiative.
Head of Operations at Oríkì, Abiodun Obaseki, said ‘Unwind’ empowers certified therapists through fair compensation. “It’s an impact programme that gives 70 percent of service earnings to therapists and 30 percent for administration. Unwind is the Uber of the industry. Within two hours of booking, someone shows up at your doorstep with everything needed to provide the service,” she said, emphasising that the model enables therapists to earn more than their usual income.
Awosika added that Oríkì now runs a diversified ecosystem with spa chains, a training institute, a mobile wellness platform and a manufacturing arm producing skincare and haircare products.
She also revealed that the company was working with seven health maintenance organisations (HMOs) to make wellness services more accessible. “They pay upfront for people to have services, changing our customer demographic overnight,” she said.
As Oríkì moves into its second decade, its focus shifts toward its FSC manufacturing arm (farm to skin manufacturing), expanding local production of safe, sustainable skincare products that rival synthetic imports. The company also announced plans to open its newest Lagos spa in VGC in October 2025 and a major international location outside Africa in December 2025.
Head of manufacturing, Femi Adelakun, said Oríkì’s factory sources ingredients locally and adheres to strict quality control. “We produce safe and sustainable skincare products using ingredients like hibiscus powder and aloe vera juice sourced directly from Nigerian farms,” he said.
Head of finance, Olaniyi Olaleye, added that the company’s growth was aided by N750 million catalytic funding from Cascador, in partnership with Sterling Bank, earlier this year. “We’ve grown from one spa to 15 and are expanding in Nigeria and Kenya,” he said.
