The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, has pledged up to ₦10 million in support of the 2026 Abuja Interior and Furniture Summit, with the intervention targeted at equipping and empowering young Nigerians with skills across the furniture, interior decoration and wider building industry value chain.
The Minister made the commitment on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving organisers and partners of the summit on a courtesy visit. He also unveiled the official logo of the Abuja Interior and Furniture Summit 2026.
The summit is being convened in partnership with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Nigerian Institute of Architects, Federal University of Transportation, Daura, TETFund, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Katsina State Government, Katsina Talent and Digital Innovation Centre and Katsina State Institute of Management Studies.
The initiative is aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported furniture, promoting locally manufactured products, strengthening technical and vocational skills, creating employment for young people and improving standards in the furnishing and interior design components of the housing and built environment sector.
Speaking during the visit, Coordinator of the Abuja Interior and Furniture Expo, Faisal Jafar Rafindadi, said the summit was borne out of years of promoting innovation and local furniture production, including activities associated with the Katsina Furniture and Innovation Centre.
Rafindadi said Nigeria’s furniture industry possessed enormous economic potential but continued to face challenges such as inadequate machinery, unreliable electricity and poor infrastructure.
He cited industry estimates that Nigeria spent more than $8 billion annually on furniture imports in 2019, stressing the need to build domestic manufacturing capacity and reduce dependence on foreign products.
“Our goal is to promote made-in-Nigeria furniture, create jobs for youth and ensure that homes built under the leadership of the Ministry are world-class in design and furnishing,” he said.
Also speaking, President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Architect Sani I. Saulawa, highlighted the shortage of properly trained artisans and middle-level technical professionals in Nigeria’s construction industry.
He said the skills gap in trades such as carpentry and other technical areas had contributed to poor workmanship and construction projects that failed to meet approved standards and specifications.
Saulawa said the departure of skilled craftsmen from neighbouring countries had further exposed the shortage of qualified local artisans.
“You find out that there is a lot of shoddy work or works that are not done to standards and specifications, which often lead to failures and eventually collapse,” he said.
He added that the Nigerian Institute of Architects was willing to partner with the summit to provide skills acquisition and training, improve professional standards and create sustainable employment opportunities.
Representing the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Abdulhamid Usman said the Board was working to formalise Nigeria’s large informal sector, particularly furniture production and interior decoration.
He noted that the country had many talented people with practical skills, but many lacked structured training, certification and opportunities to develop their crafts.
Usman expressed optimism that the partnership with the summit would increase awareness among young Nigerians while supporting government efforts to expand skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
The Rector of Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management (KSITM), Dr. Musa Ahmed Zayyad, said the institution had expanded its programmes to ensure that students acquired practical and entrepreneurial skills alongside academic qualifications.
He said the institution currently offered nearly 18 skills-based programmes, including carpentry, welding, fashion and soft skills such as public communication and effective writing.
Zayyad disclosed that the institution recently acquired skills-development equipment worth more than ₦54 million through TETFund support.
He explained that the Minister, who is Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, had directed that students should graduate with multiple competencies.
“Our students, when they graduate, must graduate with three skills or certificates,” he said.
He explained that, in addition to their academic qualification, students were required to acquire entrepreneurship and additional technical or soft skills to prepare them for employment and self-employment.
A medical practitioner, Dr. Kabiru Mustapha, who was also part of the delegation, stressed the importance of occupational health and safety in the furniture, construction and artisan sectors.
He called for greater awareness among artisans and workers about workplace hazards, safety standards and measures for protecting their health.
Responding, Minister Darma commended the organisers for their creativity and determination to develop initiatives capable of challenging young Nigerians to think, innovate and deploy their talents productively.
“I like what Faisal is doing. I like his creativity and innovative mind, trying to bring things that will move young people, challenge them, make them think and make them use their own brains,” the Minister said.
He urged the organisers not to be discouraged by the challenges of developing a sustainable industry, noting that success often comes after overcoming significant obstacles.
Darma said the summit had the potential to create opportunities across the entire housing and construction value chain, including for designers, architects, carpenters, furniture makers, transporters, installers, decorators and other professionals.
According to him, the sector provides opportunities for both technical and creative professionals, with different individuals contributing to the design, production, transportation, installation and decoration of furniture and interior projects.
“As far as I’m concerned, there is what we call design thinking,” he said, explaining that an individual could develop a concept while another person with the technical expertise could translate the idea into a drawing and ultimately a tangible product.
The Minister said the summit would enable young Nigerians to recognise the opportunities available in furniture making, interior decoration, design thinking and other specialised areas of the building industry.
He said the sector could create jobs, develop skills and enable young people to discover talents they might not yet realise they possess.
Darma, however, explained that the Ministry might not have direct budgetary resources to finance the summit but said he would personally mobilise support for the initiative.
He promised up to ₦10 million, provided the organisers clearly demonstrate that the intervention would be used specifically for youth development and skills empowerment.
“The money I’m going to give is going to be channelled to the young people,” he said.
“We are not doing it as individuals. What you are doing through the summit must enhance the ability of young people, and then we will put our money there. I promise you, we can do up to about ₦10 million, but it must be channelled towards helping young people.”
The Minister urged the organisers to remain innovative, creative and resilient, stressing that a stronger local furniture and interior industry could contribute significantly to job creation, industrial development and improved standards in Nigeria’s housing sector.
The unveiling of the summit logo marked what the organisers described as a new chapter for Nigeria’s interior and furniture industry.
The summit is expected to bring together stakeholders in education, technical training, architecture, furniture production, innovation, technology and housing to develop strategies for strengthening local production, upgrading artisans’ skills and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for young Nigerians.
“Together, we will build, design and furnish the Nigeria of our dreams,” the organisers said.
