It was a resourceful time at the just concluded DecorExpo exhibition in Lagos. The event which has run into its 4th year exhibiting furniture, home textiles, and houseware in Nigeria was held at the Landmark Event Center, V.I Lagos. This event has consistently brought together professionals worldwide showcasing the latest trends and innovations in the industry while focusing on creativity, craftsmanship, and sustainability, thus, allowing attendees to discover new products, materials, and techniques that can enhance their projects and bring their design ideas to life. And of course, the event was never monotonous as it also attracted heads of business associations, and policymakers, bringing to bear their valued support for the propagation of the exhibition.
Image source: DecorExpo
The year's exhibition featured a series of conferences, workshops, and networking opportunities. The event provided valuable insights and knowledge from industry experts and gave attendees the chance to learn about the latest trends and best practices in the field. The networking sessions tangibly offered a platform for professionals to connect, collaborate, and build relationships that can lead to future business opportunities.
Image source: DecorExpo
However, the H.O.G team made a debut visit to this year's edition as we were not only greeted and enlivened by the soft entertainment marrying the elitist atmosphere where both the local and foreign visitors were coming in and out in their droves, but the preparedness of the organizers which aligned with the energy of the event reflected in the level of sensitivity of the organizers towards time management as every segment went smoothly as they were sequentially dished out without one overlapping the other.
In no time, the composite side of the event was activated as the president of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, was invited to the podium to deliver a short opening speech. His speech was imbued with appreciation for the Turkish business community for deeming it fit to have always established a cordial business relationship with Nigeria, most especially in the ecosystem of furniture and decor. He said ''There are some countries that are particularly important to Nigeria for many reasons. One of them is that, we share a lot in common; their worldview is very similar to Nigeria, our aspiration is similar to theirs, and there are a lot we can learn from, and Turkey is one of them.'
Image source: DecorExpo
Thereafter, the Director of DecorExpo, Mr. Mohammed Ali Aras, also had an introductory speech which was marked by exactness of words from appreciation, aspirations, and purpose of the International Decorexpo Organization showcasing the rich potential of Nigeria owning to its viable comparative advantage in terms of population and economic strength amongst African countries within the sub-saharan, hence the zeal for the continuous interaction with the Nigeria market for mutual benefits.
On the other hand, the convener, Dr. Daniel Deji Ayodele, attracted the attendees with his mien encapsulated in soft-spoken intelligent words. He appreciated the coastal state, Lagos, for the opportunity, and its friendly business terrain that allows every business to thrive, as he envisaged a new deeper partnership between Nigeria and Turkey this time around.
Image source: DecorExpo
As a matter of fact, both the resident companies and some other foreign exhibitors who are not yet resident in the country, had no regret as the organizers spurred many visitors and many company representatives to patronize each exhibitor at their respective booths. This also afforded many the opportunity to grow their businesses by creating solid connections as Business-Business or Business-Customer relationship.
Image source: DecorExpo
In recent years, looking at the trajectory of growth in the furniture and textile industry in Nigeria, there has been a significant increase in FDI in these industries, with several international companies setting up manufacturing facilities in the country as they take advantage of its favorable business environment owning to its large labor force, and growing consumer market which makes it a prime location for multinational companies looking to expand their operations.
In the words of Mr. Martins Arebun, the president of the Mindshift Empowerment & Employment Initiative{MEEI program}, while presenting the topic “Bridging Continents: Empowering Collaboration and Innovation Between Türkiye and Africa in the Furniture and Textile Sectors” he diligently educated a lot of the attendees with figures of the enormous growth attributed to furniture and textile industry relatively to Nigeria and Turkiye. He said ''Nigeria's furniture market is valued at over 2 billion and it's growing annually with a potential for over 300 percent in the next three years''. Mr Martins while rounding up his speech, advised the government against bottlenecks such as heavy import tariffs, and customs processing which can deter these investors from having full interest in our dear economy.
Image source: DecorExpo
Also, another Keynote Speech came from the president of the Designers Association of Nigeria, Dr. Jennifer Chukwujekwe, titled ''Innovative Interior Design- Balancing Aesthetics, Functionality and Sustainability in the Modern Era.'' According to her ''...our gathering here today is not just to admire the artistry of design, but explore the transformative way of collaboration with people around the world.'' She further stated that designing should go beyond putting furniture together to occupy space, but must appealing and functional and of course sustainable.
Undoubtedly, the word sustainability is now becoming an increasingly important concept in the design world as consumers and designers alike are becoming more aware of the environmental and social implications of their purchases. Meaning that, by incorporating sustainability into furniture design, designers can create products that not only look beautiful and function well but also have a positive impact on the environment. So, designers should be thinking about the entire lifespan of a piece of furniture, from production to disposal, consequently, reducing the need for frequent replacements and minimizing waste.
Taking into cognizance the country's rich natural resources, particularly the furniture and textile industry, Nigeria being one of the high producer of both timber and cotton, the abundance of these natural resources has attracted foreign companies looking to take advantage of Nigeria's competitive advantage in the sector, Mrs. Folawe Oloye, Chief Executive Officer at Teal Harmoney Limited, however, brings to the consciousness of attendees the depreciating level at which these resources are not being well harnessed, and if not so, are not properly maintained in ensuring a longer sustainability of these resources as deforestation is becoming the order of the day, hence threatening Nigeria's forest resources, leading to a decline in the availability of quality timber. She also mentioned the lack of effective regulation and enforcement mechanisms exacerbates this problem, making it difficult to protect and sustainably manage Nigeria's forest reserves. Additionally, she said that the inefficient processing and utilization of timber resources, and inaccessibility to the real suppliers hinder the growth and development of the timber industry. These challenges and more were highlighted. In her closing remarks, she believes that better government policies will go a long way in redirecting our approach to preserving our nature-gifted resources.
However, Dr. Morenike Basharu, the Chief Creative Director Dewa Option, came through for the health wellness aspect in design. Dr. Morenike presentation added to the list of grounded knowledge many attendees have been exposed to, in the course of their participation. Undoubtedly, Dr. Morenike intelligently created an additional arm to the design features. In her words "When we talk about designing for wellness, we are not just talking about the functionality, aesthetics of spaces, we are talking about how these spaces can positively influence the mood, behavior, and creativity of the habitat."
We wish you all a successful and happy ending in the year 2024! See you again at the Decorexpo 2025.
Author: Olatunji Olasehan
Olatunji Olasehan, is an educationist by profession but is currently a Merchant recruiter & Affiliate manager at HOG- Home. Office. Garden online marketplace. He just regained his long-time love for writing as he expresses himself in the mood of Art that depicts his nature in a stylish manner towards appreciating his evolving environment.
