Design experts push for unified curriculum to boost Nigeria’s global competitiveness
By Eberechi Obinagwam
Educators, industry leaders, policymakers and international design bodies on Monday came together to chart a new course for interior and product design that would address the challenges of the rising demand for qualified designers, growth of uncertified institutions, and inconsistent educational standards in Nigeria to be able to compete with global standards.
At the launch of the Institute of Professional Interior Designers and Product Inventors at Alliance Française, Lagos, experts said these challenges can be addressed by creating a unified national curriculum, introducing licensing systems, and building pathways for training, accreditation, and career development in interior and product design.
Titi Ogufure, founder, African Council for Interior Architects and Designers (ACIAD), said the institute will serve as the licensing and regulatory body for their profession ensuring that interior design in Nigeria meets the highest standards of education, ethics, and practice. According to her, it will also create structured pathways for product inventors those working in furniture, lighting, textiles, and materials to innovate within a system that protects intellectual property and supports manufacturing growth.
“Under this Institute, we will define who is qualified to practice interior design in Nigeria. We will set educational standards, certify practitioners, and promote continuous professional development. We will ensure that our graduates are employable, our practitioners accountable, and our industry globally competitive.”
“This moment is about safeguarding our profession for the future to protect the public, uphold excellence, and create opportunities for our young designers and innovators to thrive both locally and internationally.
As we launch this Institute today, we are not only formalizing a profession we are institutionalizing excellence. We are laying the foundation for a regulated, credible, and world-class design ecosystem in Nigeria,” she added.
Mobolaji A. Adeniyi, president of the Nigerian Institute of Architects in her keynote speech said the moment signifies far more than the creation of a new professional body; “It represents the emergence of a bold vision for the future of Nigeria’s design ecosystem. It is a celebration of creativity, structure, and the deep conviction that design, when properly nurtured, is one of the greatest tools for national transformation.”
She said the launch was timely because Nigeria’s design and construction industries are standing at a crossroads between potential and necessity. The demand for qualified designers has never been greater, yet the proliferation of uncertified training schools, inconsistent curricula, and unregulated practice has weakened professional standards. The same challenge exists among product inventors, furniture designers, lighting engineers, textile creators, many of whom work informally, without pathways to protect their intellectual property or connect with manufacturers.
She the establishment of this Institute responds directly to these gaps because it provides a unified framework for education, certification, and regulation — ensuring that interior design and product invention are not only recognised but respected as strategic contributors to Nigeria’s creative economy.
By setting national benchmarks aligned with the IFI Global Education Policy, she said the Institute positions Nigeria at the forefront of continental reform. “Through partnerships with ACIAD and the adoption of the forthcoming Interior Design Charter for Africa, the Institute ensures that our designers are not only compliant with international standards but also contributors to their evolution.”
She urged the Institute continue to champion mentorship, ensuring that emerging designers, artisans, and inventors find encouragement, guidance, and opportunities.
She also used the medium to call on government agencies, educational regulators, and legislators to support the IPIDPI in formalising its charter, developing licensing standards, and integrating design into national industrial and educational policy. “When we invest in design, we invest in innovation; when we regulate design, we protect the public; and when we promote design, we brand our nation for excellence.”
Jennifer Mpyisi, Ugandan Interior Architect and Designer in her remark said the new institution it’s an amazing opportunity to bring the entire ecosystem into a place where it’s making sense. “I am absolutely convinced that this is the beginning of a great future for Africa. so we are here together to see the whole continent grow. This is our commonwealth, not just for our continent or our country, but this knowledge will feed back into policy. Without that knowledge being fed back into policy, our centers of think tanks and innovation, our policies may become stagnant and outdated.”
“What we are fighting, and discovering are inventors with sympathy and ethics, designers who think in systems, creators who are comfortable with ambiguity, innovators who serve humanity, and not just the marketplace.”
Dr. Nnezi Uduma-Olugu, associate professor of Architecture at the University of Lagos also added that talent is not enough, there is always need to add business to your character hence it’s important to do a business-based course like the IPIDPI that helps one to get a good fit and make a success of ones degree or of profession.
“You can be very talented, but it is not enough. You have to add business to your character, to your design, to all the other things that you need to know in order to be able to excel in a very rough country such as Nigeria or in Africa as a whole.”
Prof George Washington Kerani President, African Council for Interior Architects / Designers (ACIAD); Jacqueline Aki, President Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN); Cherrisse Johnston, President Elect National Council for Interior Designers Qualifications (NCIDQ), Prof. Odoch Pido, Designer and proffessor of design department of design and creative, Dr. Obindah Gershon, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics and Development Studies, Covenant University, where among the experts that were present to drum their support.
