IO Furniture boosts local content patronage with fair

On May Day, IO Furniture, a leading indigenous furniture and interior designing firm, threw its doors open to customers and staff alike to witness its innovative products that are wholly made in Nigeria by Nigerians and for the world.

Tagged, ‘Labour Day Exhibition’, the event, which held at IO Furniture’s office at Ilupeju, Lagos, was a boost to local content creation and a further campaign for the patronage of made in Nigeria goods initiative by the present administration.

On display at the exhibition by the furniture firm were new products showcasing new trends in interior decoration, stylish living, corporate friendly, space-focused products, among others.

Speaking on the rationale for the exhibition, Muni Shonibare, managing director/CEO, IO Furniture, explained that the fair was organised to celebrate members of staff working with the firm, as well as customers who have patronised different products of the firm over the years.

She noted that the firm has evolved over the years wooing customers beyond the Nigerian shores. For her, the firm’s success story is the unique selling proposition, which is using locally sourced raw materials in their production and African themed designs.

“With the exhibition, we are promoting made in Nigeria goods by Nigerians. As a furniture company, we are promoting our industry and can compete with any furniture company globally. But we also know there is a need to constantly refresh our brand, so we introduce new designs in the market to keep with the new trends”, she explained.

On what inspired the designs, the MD/CEO explained that, “We try the new lifestyle; what people like and want. We make sure that we introduce furniture designs and accessories that align with people’s lifestyle. It is about appreciating that lifestyles are changing in our environment and what is required to keep up with that lifestyles is to anticipate what people need and plan toward it in terms of materials and designs. As much as possible, we begin to introduce our own African touch into furniture-making”.

As well, looking inwards for raw materials, according to her, has been a boost to local content creation, curbed importation and impacted on price of the finished products here.

“The fair comes with discounts because we want the products, though new, to be affordable and pocket-friendly for our target customers”, she said.

However, she called all government and private sector to make sustained efforts at closing the gap in skilled labour availability in the country, noting that it is the bane of productivity and industrial advancement in the country.

“Our greatest challenge in this environment is the lack of skilled labour. Every segment of the society; from legal, medical to engineering professions need skilled labour required for that industry. While I appreciate what the government is doing to promote and protect the industry, but we need require skilled labour. You can only make progress and generate workforce as it should if you have educated and skilled labour force to drive it”, she concluded.

Obinna Emelike